{"id":147489,"date":"2022-12-02T13:47:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T12:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=147489"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:33","slug":"dijkgraaf-barely-budges-during-first-budget-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/12\/02\/dijkgraaf-barely-budges-during-first-budget-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Dijkgraaf barely budges during first budget debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government’s financial plans for higher education and research had all previously already been discussed in depth. There will be a basic student grant, there will be extra money for scientific research and the government has also reached into its pockets to help protect student purchasing power.<\/span><\/p>

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\nRobbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, during a visit to Erasmus MC.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The biggest surprise during the debate on the national budget for education and research on Wednesday came from the governing coalition: they want students living away from home to receive an amount on top of their basic grant for three years (rather than one year). Minister Dijkgraaf promised to see what he could do.<\/span><\/p>\n

On other issues, however, he barely budged at all. Extra compensation for students in the student loan system, which MP Habtamu de Hoop (PvdA) again advocated? There will be none. \u201cI feel bound by the coalition agreement to that 1 billion\u201d, he reiterated. \u201cI appreciate that that is a hard message to hear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Interest <\/h2>

Neither will he prevent the rising interest rates on student debt, although some opposition parties tried to pick away at that viewpoint. Laurens Dassen (Volt) wanted to know whether students in the student loan system might be able to pay zero percent interest on\u00a0part\u00a0<\/em>of their debt, namely for the part of the basic grant that they missed out on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dijkgraaf did not want to hear about it. Charging less interest will eventually erode student grants and loans, he argued, and some things are just the way they are, \u201cOur whole country will be living a new economic reality, with inflation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephan van Baarle (DENK) found that last statement strange, saying that you should not relate such a basic provision as education to an \u2018economic reality\u2019. Peter Kwint (SP) was also surprised. He feels it is specifically politicians\u2019 task to shape the economic reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dijkgraaf\u2019s response to the criticism was philosophical. \u201cThe extent to which we, as politicians, are or are not able to shape that economic reality is quite an existential question\u201d, he said. \u201cOne to which I do not readily have an answer.\u201d The high inflation is sometimes \u201cmore like a natural phenomenon than something we have created here\u201d, he felt.<\/span><\/p>\n

His position regarding interest rates for former students is supported by the governing coalition, so he will not encounter any problems in that respect. He shook off the criticism with his usual charm.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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