Students – like everyone else – face rising prices, but the basic allowance for living away from home has been reduced by €164. What does the new government have in mind for students? 5 questions for political expert Joost Vollings.

In cities like Breda and Zwolle, room prices are up by 30 percent, tuition fees are up by 10 percent and inflation is making supermarket products more expensive. However, the basic grant for students living away from home is €164 less than last year. The grant was temporarily higher at the time due to inflation, but from September 1, a student living away from home will again receive €302 instead of €466 in the calculation.

1. Why is the basic grant €164 less?

“Like other groups, students have been compensated for the sharp rise in energy prices and high inflation,” says political scientist Joost Vollings. “The £164 surcharge will end, so students will have to deal with a significant drop in income.”

It initially looked like students living away from home would also get extra money this year. But a motion by D66 and SP to extend income support for another year failed in the House earlier this year. Nothing will change for students living at home.

2. Can students count on support from the new government?

No, says Follings, because the money has run out. “The time for distribution is over. The ministries are now working to prevent cuts and know that going to Finance Minister Ilko Heinen to ask for extra money for a particular group is completely hopeless.”

According to Vollings, students are not the first group that The Hague is currently considering for additional support. “Frankly speaking: student portfolios are not a priority for this government.”

3. Is there still a possibility to cancel the late student fine?

According to Follings, it is “strange” that the four coalition parties did not express their wish for the deceased student to be well loudly and clearly in their election manifesto. “He was simply chosen because the four parties needed money to fulfil other wishes,” he says.

“Think of tax cuts targeting the ‘hard-working Dutchman,’” says Vollings. “Students who take a ‘long time’ to complete their studies are simply not a group that politicians will be competing for.”

4. The Framework Convention states: Education must be accessible. What promises has the government made to achieve this?

“To be honest, it’s not entirely clear,” says the political commentator. “It seems that the government and the coalition parties are already finding education accessible. In any case, the extra money for students is not included.”

The government is once again committed to limiting the number of foreign students. “This ensures that Dutch students have a greater chance of being accepted into a popular course.”

5. What can students expect from the new government?

Vollings: “The surcharge on the basic grant will disappear, and late fees will be reintroduced to students. On top of that, higher education will also have to deal with cuts in research funding. So students are not just looking askance at the cabinet and colleges and universities. They are doing the same thing.”

But research is important to our country’s earning power, says Follings. “So I think pushing for a cut in research is more successful than demanding a higher base grant,” he concludes.