Basic study grant paid out to 465,852 students

Eight years after being abolished by the Cabinet, the basic study grant is back. A total of 465,852 students will get the basic study grant credited to their account today, NOS reports based on figures from the education agency DUO, which is responsible for the grant and student loans.

Students living at home will get 110.30 euros per month. Students living away from home will get 439.20 euros, which includes a temporary increase of 164.30 euros to improve their purchasing power. DUO is paying out 130 million euros in total.

DUO received thousands more applications than it expected. Based on the number of students who had student loans last year, the agency expected around 435,000 basic grant applications. And applications aren’t closed - students can apply retroactively throughout the academic year.

The return of the basic grant immediately affected the number and amount of student loans, DUO also said. The number of loans fell by over 93,000, and the amount decreased from an average of 677 euros last year to 575 euros this year.

The basic study grant is performance-related. It is a loan that converts into a gift if the student obtains their diploma within ten years.

The Dutch government scrapped the basic study grant and replaced it with a loan system in 2015. Students could borrow money at a reduced rate. The loan system immediately came under fire, with concerns about young people amassing high debts. A year and a half ago, the Cabinet reintroduced the basic grant. Students who had to loan money to study in the past years can receive compensation of up to 1,400 euros.