Students and their rights to child benefit

Is your child still going to school?

Then you do not need to do anything to receive any extra allowances if your student

• continues his/her studies, but stops them in the course of the next school or academic year;
• continues studying, but reduces the study volume to less than 17 lessons per week (non-higher education) or less than 27 credits (higher education) in the course of the next school or academic year;
• if the young person is following education that is not recognised by the Flemish Community;
• if you are continuing your studies outside Flanders, you must have a specific school form filled in by the educational establishment. We can provide you with this school form to fill in;
• Please send an email to vlaanderen@infino.be if one of the above applies to your situation.

Please notify us immediately if your student works more or does other work than allowed by the conditions, is registered as self-employed in main occupation or receives benefits.

Your child is enrolled in higher education

• for at least 27 study points per academic year (or at least 13 teaching hours per week if the programme is not expressed in study points) in one or more Belgian recognised institutions of higher education. Study credits awarded for writing a PhD thesis do not count towards the entitlement to child benefit;
• for less than 27 credits, if it concerns the year in which your child can obtain the diploma (maximum 1 year per educational cycle);
• for a state-recognised training course for ministers of religion;
• for the scientific course as preparation for the Royal Military Academy or engineering studies.
• Entitlement to child benefit starts on 1 October of the academic year, provided that enrolment for at least part of the 27 credits took place at the latest on 30 November. Entitlement to child benefit starts from the date of the first or only enrolment if the total of at least 27 credits is the result of one or more enrolments after 30 November.
• If your child reduces his/her enrolment(s) to less than 27 credits or terminates it during the academic year, the right to child benefit as a student ends immediately at the end of the month in which the credits fall below 27 or the enrolment stops.

However, an entitlement as a school leaver can possibly arise after this (see school leaver).

Exception: illness (see below).

Your child follows lessons in both higher and non-higher education for at least 17 hours a week (1 credit of higher education = half an hour of lessons).

The right to the Growth package starts at the beginning of the academic year, provided that the enrolment for at least a part of the 27 credits happened before 30 November. If the enrolment(s) is (are) reduced to less than 27 credits in the course of the academic year or the enrolment is terminated, then the entitlement to a Growth Package stops immediately at the end of the month. There may still be an entitlement as a school leaver. When your child falls ill, the entitlement can exceptionally be retained.

The young person follows lessons in both higher and non-higher education

• for at least 17 teaching hours a week (one credit in higher education counts as half an hour)

For example: your child is enrolled for 20 credits in higher education and follows 7 lessons in non-higher education. The sum is 10+7 = 17 teaching hours, so just enough to retain the right to family benefits.

If the course is non-higher education and is not recognised by the foreign government, it has to be proved that the young person is registered for at least 17 teaching hours a week. young people who have already obtained a final certificate of secondary education in Belgium and who are not in higher education outside Belgium in a country that is not part of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland or with which Belgium has not concluded a bilateral agreement are entitled to a maximum of 1 school year. Young people who follow higher education in such a country have an entitlement for the entire period of the education followed. 

The child has to keep his domicile in Flanders or be put on 'temporarily absent' status by the municipality. And a parent is not allowed to practice any gainful activity in the child's country of residence. 

Your child is older than 18, studies and works in Flanders

When are you no longer entitled to your child benefit?

Working students

• There is no longer any right to child benefit as a student from the moment your child works too much or receives social benefits.
• There is no further right to family allowance when
• your child works more than the annual maximum of 475 hours with an employment contract for students with reduced social contributions (Student@work).

Your child works more than 80 hours in a calendar month through another employment (as a temporary worker, with a permanent contract of fixed or indefinite duration, with a student contract without reduced social contributions). The following are not counted: work in the framework of work-linked training, a traineeship required to obtain a diploma, certificate or licence, work in the framework of a recognised and monitored apprenticeship contract and voluntary work.

• Your child establishes himself/herself as a self-employed person in main occupation and pays full contributions.
• Your child receives unemployment benefit

The period of 12 months is interrupted when your child starts education again. The young person can then again get child benefit as pupil/student/trainee. The remaining period as a school-leaver starts again as soon as your child is no longer in education.

Child benefit as a school-leaver stops when your child obtains an income. Also take a look at the section "Your child is over 18, studies and works. When are you no longer entitled to your family benefits?

Attention: voluntary work, internship, or non-recognized training abroad: provide us with a certificate from the volunteer organisation concerned, RVA or VDAB.

Is there an entitlement to child benefit during the school holidays?

Entitlement continues during the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays under specific conditions.

• If the holiday lasts longer than four months, the remaining period is covered by, and deducted from, the 12 months of entitlement as a school leaver (see above).
• If classes are not actually resumed after non-higher education, the summer holidays end no later than 31 August.
• If classes are not actually resumed after higher education, the summer holidays end no later than 30 September.

When studies in Belgium, an EEA member state or Switzerland are preceded or followed by studies abroad, a maximum of four months is allowed during the intervening summer holidays.

Holiday periods between two years of study abroad must be attested by the foreign school and may not exceed 120 days.

What if the young person falls ill during the studies?

IMPORTANT: you always need a medical certificate!

• If your child becomes ill during the school year (non-higher education) or if he or she reduces his or her enrolment below 27 credits (higher education), the right to child benefit is retained provided a valid medical certificate from the attending physician is submitted. This is possible until the end of the summer holidays of the school or academic year that follows the school or academic year in which the young person became ill. Absences that last longer than 3 months must always be justified by an examination by Kind en Gezin.
• If your child cannot register for 17 lessons per week (non-higher education) or for at least 27 credits (higher education) because of illness at the beginning of the school or academic year, there can be a right to child benefit during this school year, provided that the educational institution attests that the pupil is unable to follow more lessons or take more credits because of illness.
• If the young person cannot enrol for a new school or academic year because of illness but was not ill during the previous school year, please contact us for advice tailored to your situation.

Your child becomes ill during studies and is linked to a learning agreement? Contact your case manager.

If the young person becomes ill during an apprenticeship in order to be appointed to public office, also contact your case manager.