€110 million to increase the basic grant for students living away from home

The new minority coalition of D66, CDA and VVD has allocated an additional €1.5 billion to education. This is slightly more than the previous government cut. If the House of Representatives approves the budget, the funding will be reinstated from 2027 onwards. Of this, around €110 million has been set aside to increase the basic grant for students living away from home, the new ministers have informed the House of Representatives.

There are approximately 220,000 students receiving a grant for students living away from home in vocational education (MBO), higher professional education (HBO) and university education (WO). If the amount is spread across them, this amounts to an annual sum of €500 per student, or €42 per month. The current basic grant for students living away from home is €325 per month. According to information from Nibud, students are on average short of around €400 per month.

Figures may change

The coalition agreement between D66, CDA and VVD contains various plans, including an increase in the basic grant for students living away from home, but no specific figures had been attached to these plans until now. The current figure of 110 million euros comes from a list setting out the provisional allocation of that €1.5 billion for education. GroenLinks-PvdA (since 26 March called Profressief Nederland) had requested this list.

For the government, the costs of a higher basic grant will not arise until later

The figures may still change, write Minister Rianne Letschert and State Secretary Judith Tielen, the new ministers at the Ministry of Education. They are still assessing the effectiveness, feasibility and exact costs of their measures.

For the government, the costs of a higher basic grant will not arise until later: in higher education, the basic grant is only paid out once students have obtained their degree, and that could take years.

€434 million to research and science

The table provided also shows that €434 million has been allocated to research and science. This funding is distributed via sector plans (in which universities collaborate), funding for practice-oriented research, resources for research infrastructure and European cooperation.

Additional funding will also be provided for international students, now that higher education institutions are permitted to continue offering English-language programmes at their discretion. In the long term, this will amount to €156 million per year.

HOP, Bas Belleman