If you did not receive a basic grant and have finished studying, you will get money back next year. Education Executive Agency DUO has started a campaign to inform (former) students about this. 

No basic grant

Per month of study without a basic grant, the allowance amounts to 34.17 euros. At least, if you completed your degree within ten years. Those who have completed a four-year hbo bachelor's degree receive 1,640 euros. The same applies if you have completed a university bachelor plus a one-year university master.

This amount can also be slightly higher. If you have studied for five or six years (for example, university-tech or medicine), the allowance is 2,050 and 2,460 euros, respectively.

According to DUO, this concerns about 760,000 students, 590,000 of whom are already eligible now. The amount will be set off against their study debt in early 2025 or paid out if they don't have study debt (anymore). For others, this happens when they graduate.

Voucher

In addition, the first four lights of the loan system, which went into effect in September 2015, would receive a voucher for additional education as a palliative. That voucher will also be paid out or offset against student debt, the previous administration determined.

That's an additional 2,097 euros. About 350.000 (former) students are entitled to it, 290.000 of whom will already receive the money early next year.

1,900 euros extra

The current government found this financial compensation of 1.15 billion euros too meager and has released another 1.4 billion euros. Minister Eppo Bruins wrote to the House of Representatives last week that this amounts to over 1,900 euros for four years of study without a basic scholarship.

That money will be due in the spring of 2027. Any sooner won't work, according to Bruins. He expects to send the necessary bill to the House of Representatives in early 2026. For the sake of caution, DUO does not yet mention this additional compensation.

Profit

The administration does not distinguish between students who continued to live with their parents and students who left home. DUO no longer kept track of whether students were “living at home” or not. After all, they no longer received a basic student grant, so it didn't matter. 

The basic grant for students living at home was about 100 euros per month in 2014. Suppose you went to college in 2015, missed out on four years of basic scholarship and continued to live with your parents all that time. Then the loan system cost you roughly 4,600 euros, while the allowance will be 5,600 euros. So basically people who lived with their parents during their study in the loan system years, will make a thousand euros profit.

At least, if the cabinet stays afloat and Bruins manages to get his bill through parliament. The latter is likely to succeed. Few parties are likely to block the additional concession.