Furthermore, there is currently no word on where the money is to come from. If the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will be forced to find this amount itself (wholly or partly), then this will mean having to make efficiency savings on education and research, for which many hundreds of millions had just been earmarked.
Incidentally, the basic grant is not due to be reintroduced until September 2023 – and then only for students who are still entitled to it, i.e. those students who are studying within the standard (‘nominal’) time frame. Those studying beyond the standard time frame will not receive any student grant.
The National Institute for Family Finance Information (Nibud) this week reported that high inflation could hit students hard. Of course, some parents will suffer too. If parents are earning more than one and a half times average income (€3,843 net per month), then their children will not be entitled to an additional grant and they will have to scrimp and save in order to be able to pay the parental contribution.
Energy grant
The government will be introducing more measures. Those on lower incomes are to receive an energy grant of €1,300 and this measure is to be extended, reports RTL Nieuws. As such, households that are less well-off will be receiving this money next year too.
That may be good news for students, as it could well be that they are eligible. This year, a student won a court case on the energy grant from Nijmegen City Council. The ramifications of that ruling are as yet unclear.
The minimum wage will be of interest to students with a side job, as this will go up by 10% from 1 January. In addition, the care allowance will be increased by approximately €35 and people will also be able to get more housing benefit.
Leaked plans
The plans for the new National Budget were not supposed to be released until the third Tuesday of September (Budget Day), but the plans leaking has become somewhat of a tradition itself.
This week, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf announced a softer rise in tuition fees next year than had been feared. Nevertheless, that was not part of the measures to improve purchasing power, the Ministry stressed, but rather an improvement to the system. From September 2023 onwards, tuition fees will increase by €105.
