DUO: Student loan interest rises in 2027 and may affect former students from Aruba

ORANJESTAD — Former students from Aruba with a Dutch DUO student loan or student debt may face higher interest in 2027. According to official information published by Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) on October 7, 2026, the new rates will be 2.70% under the 35-year repayment system (SF35) and 3.28% under the 15-year system (SF15).

For SF35, the rate rises from 2.33% in 2026 to 2.70% in 2027. For SF15, the increase is larger, from 2.29% to 3.28%. DUO says nearly all current students fall under the 35-year repayment rules, while a much smaller group falls under the 15-year system.

The increase does not automatically apply to every former student with debt. For borrowers already repaying, the interest rate is normally fixed for five years. The 2027 rate will apply to those whose current fixed-interest period ends on December 31, 2026, as well as students who received student finance for the last time in 2026.

DUO says more than 250,000 former students will move to the new rate in 2027 because their fixed-interest period expires. According to DUO, student-loan interest is linked to the interest the Dutch government pays on its own borrowing.

For former students from Aruba who studied in the Netherlands using DUO financing, the exact impact will depend on the repayment system that applies to them, the size of their debt and when their current fixed-interest period ends.