STAP subsidy TU Delft courses

STAP subsidy in demand for TU Delft courses

It is far from easy for anyone with an interest to get a STAP subsidy for a TU Delft Extension School course. In 2022, there was a trial of six courses. Out of 60 grant applications, 10 were awarded. In 2023, out of 37 applications, five were granted.

The regulation, under which people can get 1,000 euro training budget, is unprecedentedly popular nationwide. During the latest application round, the subsidy fund containing 34 million euros was exhausted after only 2.5 hours. Course participants must register with the educator before submitting their STAP application. But because of its popularity registration alone does not guarantee the allocation of the training budget.

Project leader Cora van Haaren thinks this is unfortunate. “I hope that revising and improving the STAP registration system will allow the number of participants to grow. That way, more people can develop their skills.”

Pilot
Since the start of the programme in September 2022, TU Delft has also been offering several courses through its Extension School that are eligible for the grant. The courses focus on topics such as sustainability and circularity, the energy transition, cybersecurity and more. 

Van Haaren stressed that TU Delft is currently offering a limited number of courses as a pilot, “but we aim to scale up so that a more complete Extension School offering is available by the first quarter of next year”.
 

STAP has been under pressure since its introduction, with the registration website repeatedly crashing and dozens of educators misusing the grant. (MvdV)