Right-wing parties reduce basic grant by 164 euros

In September, the basic grant for those living away from home will go down again, the Lower House decided on 15 February. Students will then receive 302 euros per month. That is 164 euro less than now.

This academic year, the basic grant returned after eight years. And for students living in a student room, there was good news: the bursary was temporarily increased by 164 euros per month due to heavy inflation.

That increase is coming to an end again. D66 and SP had proposed extending the income support for a year, but their amendment was rejected by the right-wing parties in parliament. Only Forum for Democracy voted with the left-wing parties.

To be precise, the grant is now 466.69 euros per month and that amount will drop to 302.39 euros per month next academic year. For students still living with their parents, nothing will change. They will receive 121.33 per month.

Incidentally, this is separate from the supplementary grant, which students can receive if their parents’ income remains below a certain standard. The supplementary grant amounts to a maximum of EUR 457.60.

Student organisations sent an urgent letter to the House of Representatives this week. Given the high costs for students, the basic grant is too low anyway, they believe, so this increase should not be allowed to disappear.

To extend the increase by one year, D66 and SP wanted to tap an unused pot at another ministry. Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf did not think that was a good idea. “Such a shift of funds does not suit a caretaker government,” he argued. (HOP, BB)