A while back, the CBS (Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics) released new data (this and all other links in this piece lead to Dutch content) revealing that since the launch of the student loan system, fewer students elect to do a master’s. A crying shame, but very understandable. A master’s, and studying in general, has become much more expensive since the loan system was implemented.
The fact that students take their financial situation into account when making decisions is also apparent in first-year students. An increasing number of students choose to continue living with their parents, and they continue to do so for longer.
An important reason is that the grant for students living independently was abolished. This grant lowered the threshold for students to move out as the government covered a (considerable) part of the expenses. Now that there is only an additional grant for students (for which 1 in 4 students who are eligible fail to apply), the threshold to move out has once again increased.
Staying put if your parents live anywhere near your university seems like a no-brainer
The scarcity of affordable housing has made it more difficult to find student rooms and studios, especially in university cities. Staying put if your parents live anywhere near your university seems like a no-brainer.
Nevertheless, I feel students should live independently, even if it’s only for a year. Because, cliché as it may seem, it teaches you a lot. Not just practical things such as how much time it takes to run your household and even how to run a household, but it also helps in your personal development. Moving out during your student years will certainly positively impact your personal development.
Everyone deserves equal opportunities to study and develop themselves, particularly in an affluent country such as the Netherlands. Thus, I hope that the current formation process for a new government will include a discussion on the reintroduction of the grant for students living independently, in addition to a reintroduction of the basic grant and/or an expansion of the supplementary grant.
I left home when I turned 18, and although rent and all other expenses have set me back considerably, it has also brought me many advantages. For me, the choice was an easy one, as I was able to benefit from the grant for students living away from home for three years. Without this grant, I may well have chosen differently. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that the threshold for new students to move out will be lowered again in the near future!
Emma Mouthaan (25) is a master’s student of Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology and is also taking a master in Writing at the VU. Emma blogs on studying and finances on the website The Stingy Student. Previously, she wrote about fashion and food.
