The reactions among Maastricht students in the University Library were not wildly enthusiastic on Monday afternoon. Most of them feel that it is good that the basic grant is coming back, but at the same time the question arises: why is it so low? The suggested amounts – a 91 euro a month for those living at home and 255 euro for those in digs – is almost one fifth lower than when the grant stopped in 2015 (see text box). Not to mention the compensation that they will receive according to the cabinet’s plans: a pittance compared to the study debt accumulated by the ‘unlucky students’, they calculate.
“Anyway, low compensation is always better than nothing,” says second-year student of Psychology Marieke Godding, who is at the University Library together with fellow student Marjolein de Coninck. The two students, still living at home, feel especially bad for those who rent rooms. “They most likely have higher debts,” says De Coninck. Although that was not the reason for them to stay living with their parents. “We don’t need to travel far,” says Godding. “Although maybe how it worked out for my sister unconsciously played a role in my decision. She suddenly accumulated high debts when they went from the old system to a borrowing system.”
That one year that they, according to how plans are looking at the moment, will now receive a basic grant is scant consolation for the two second-year students (all students who are still in their nominal study duration in the academic year 2023/2024, can from that moment make use of the new system). “That will help somewhat, but it won’t make the world of difference,” says De Coninck.
Fifty thousand euro debt
For two students who are sitting a couple of tables away, the new basic grant is, at any rate, too late: they will already have graduated by then. So, the real ‘unlucky students’, because the old basic grant was already abolished when they started studying. “In the end, we are the victims of a failed experiment by the cabinet,” student of International Business Jop Kissels concludes. “We have high debts, while we hardly benefitted from the investments made in education as compensation for the abolishing of the basic grant.” More so, because of the online education, the quality was actually worse for two whole years, Jules Bonfrère (master’s of Globalisation and Law) adds. “Of course, you can’t completely blame that on the government, but it makes it extra bitter.”
They feel it is a good thing that the basic grant is returning for the next batch of students. “Certainly because young people are having a lot of misfortune already, for example with the present housing market,” says Kissels. They had, however, hoped for more for their own ‘unlucky generation’. Bonfrère: “It is a bit strange that you get a couple of thousand euro compensation for more than a 50 thousand euro debt. I still haven’t heard from the government why it is so little.”
So, was the ‘failed experiment’ all bad? Both of them do see a positive point. “I think that our generation took studying slightly more serious,” says Bonfrère. “Because there was more pressure behind it, fewer people will have made a half-assed job of it.” But was the extra pressure not at a cost to other activities alongside the study? “I fortunately didn’t have that experience,” says Kissels.
Full compensation
The Maastricht students are not alone in their disappointment about the level of the proposed basic grant and the compensation. Lisanne de Roos, chairwoman of the Dutch National Student Association, already stated that students will indeed be better off financially, “but their problems and worries will remain with the proposed basic grant.”
The National Student Union is also critical. “This way, there will be no end to the unlucky generation,” writes the representative on Twitter. In their petition #nietmijnschuld (not my fault), signed almost 88 thousand times, people demand full compensation for students to whom the borrowing system applied and a basic grant with which it is possible to complete a study without collecting debts (if combined with a side job). It was handed over to the House of Representatives last Tuesday, which will discuss the cabinet’s plans with Minister Dijkgraaf coming Monday.