{"id":94766,"date":"2019-02-06T10:43:37","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T09:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=94766"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:12","slug":"students-moving-out-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/02\/06\/students-moving-out-later\/","title":{"rendered":"Students moving out later"},"content":{"rendered":"

Young people are moving out later than they used to. Students in particular are waiting longer before they stake out on their own, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). On average, they live at home a year longer than in 2012.<\/p>\n

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In Rotterdam, there is a shortage of 2,700 student houses.<\/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>

On average, students are between 19 and 20 years old when they move out, says CBS researcher Tanja Traag. Young working people get a place of their own even later \u2013 between 24 and 26. In 2017, the average overall stood at 23.5 years; in 2012, young people moved out significantly sooner: at 22.8.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trend we can see is that young people move out, stand on their own two feet, marry and have children later than they used to. All the steps associated with \u2018settling down\u2019 have been pushed back,\u201d according to Traag.<\/p>\n

Previous studies<\/a> already showed that students started staying at home significantly longer after the introduction of the loan system. These \u2018live-in\u2019 students used to receive a lower base grant than those living elsewhere. But after the cancellation of the base grant, students no longer have a financial incentive to leave the nest.<\/p>\n

Limited supply<\/h2>\n\t

According to Traag, the loan system remains one of the key contributors to students\u2019 decision to stay with their parents. That and the limited supply of rooms for students. Since more and more international students are enrolling at Dutch institutions \u2013 and looking for a room, of course \u2013 it is becoming harder and harder in many student towns to find an affordable room.<\/p>\n

Diederik Brink, Director of the Kences student housing knowledge centre, also points to the growing debt burden as one of the factors that motivates students to move out later. \u201cNot everyone has enough capital to take on a debt of this kind. And not everyone is equally confident that after graduating they will earn enough to pay back their student loans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg (ISO) calls it a \u2018worrying\u2019 trend. According to the umbrella organisation for student councils, first-year students don\u2019t stay home longer voluntarily \u2013 it\u2019s because they\u2019re afraid to enter into debt. ISO Chair Tom van den Brink: \u201cYour time as a student is an incredibly important period in your personal development. Students who have to postpone this step towards greater independence miss out on a lot \u2013 simply because they already have to worry about their life after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

New standard<\/h2>

Kences Director Brink points out that living away from home increases students\u2019 independence and expands their options when it comes to study programmes. \u201cYou need to be free to choose an institution or student town that suits you. For this, we need housing benefits and other instruments that can help keep a room within everyone\u2019s means.\u201d Brink consequently argues for affordable, social student housing.<\/p>\n

Traag expects this trend to continue for some time yet. \u201cMaybe this will set a new standard and change student life in the long term.\u201d If many of the students need to go home to their parents\u2019 after a lecture, social activities may have to be scheduled around this. Traag is sure of one thing: the fact that more and more students are staying with their parents will undoubtedly have some effect or other.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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