Basic grant drops down again by 164 euros

In September, the basic grant for those living away from home will be reduced again to the ‘regular’ amount, the House of Representatives has decided yesterday. Students will then receive 302 euro per month. That is 164 euro less than now.

This academic year, the basic grant returned after eight years. And for students living away from home, there was more good news: the grant was temporarily increased by 164 euros per month to compensate for the high inflation.

That increase is coming to an end. Parties D66 and SP had proposed extending the income support for one more year, but their amendment was rejected yesterday by a majority.

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

Besides this, there’s the supplementary grant, which students may receive if their parents’ income is below a certain level. The supplementary grant amounts to a maximum of 457.60 euros.

Student organisations have 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 temporary increase shouldn’t be allowed to disappear.

To extend the increase by one year, D66 and SP wanted to tap into an unused budget pot at another ministry. Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf didn’t agree with that. “Such a shift of funds does not suit an outgoing government,” he argued.