Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) announces grace period for study debt payments for St. Maarten students.

In an email dated October 20, 2017, Monique Hoogwerf, “Coördinator Onderwijs Caribisch gebied” wrote as follows:
DUO understands that due to the passing of Hurricane Irma, many former students on St. Maarten may be unable to fulfill their obligations as it pertains to the repayment of their DUO study debt. As such, DUO has decided to provide former students residing on St. Maarten with some much-needed relief by suspending all study debt repayment obligations until December 2018 via a special measure.
The conditions of this special measure are:

1. DUO must know that the student is living on St. Maarten
2. No monthly study debt repayment obligation until December 2018
3. DUO will not send out any payment or collection orders
4. Suspension of the collection of outstanding payments via the Marshalls
5. No interest will be applied to the study debt over this period of the suspension
6. Your repayment term will remain the same.

DUO will send official notifications (one in 2017 and one in 2018) by regular mail and via email to inform former students if DUO has their e-mail address.
In October 2018, DUO will send a new message explaining how the repayment of the study debt will continue as of January 2019.

Division Study Financing Press Release

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27407-dienst-uitvoering-onderwijs-duo-announces-grace-period-for-study-debt-payments-for-st-maarten-students.html