Netherlands plans to raise basisbeurs for students living away from home by 42 euros a month from 2027
By Muntasir • Published Jun 04, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Education News & Policy
The Dutch government wants to raise the basisbeurs for students living away from home by 42 euros a month from 2027, but parliament has not approved the plan yet.
💶 The independent-living grant stands at 324.52 euros a month for 2026/27.
The proposed rise would take it to roughly 367 euros a month.
The cabinet set aside 110 million euros to fund the increase.
The home-living grant of 130.21 euros a month is not part of this proposal.
⏱️ The Tweede Kamer still needs to vote on the funding before it takes effect.
What the government proposed
The Dutch cabinet earmarked 110 million euros to raise the basisbeurs, the basic student grant, for students who live away from their parents while studying. The increase would add about 42 euros a month to the independent-living rate, according to U-Today .
For 2026/27, the independent-living basisbeurs pays 324.52 euros a month . Adding 42 euros would bring it to roughly 367 euros a month. The grant for students who still live at home stays separate at 130.21 euros a month for 2026/27, and the current proposal does not touch that rate. The cabinet targeted the independent-living rate specifically, since rent, groceries and utilities weigh far heavier on students who no longer share a household with their parents.
How the basisbeurs got to this point
The basic grant has a rocky recent history. The Dutch government scrapped it in 2015 and moved to a loan-only system known as the leenstelsel, forcing students to borrow the full cost of their studies with no gift component. After eight years without a grant, the basisbeurs returned in September 2023, according to DutchReview . The independent-living rate started at 274.90 euros a month that year, with a temporary supplement bringing the total closer to 440 euros for the 2023-24 academic year.
The rate has since settled at 324.52 euros a month for 2026/27, without the temporary top-up. The proposed 2027 increase would be the first structural rise to the base rate since the grant came back, rather than another one-off supplement.
Timing and approval
The government wants the higher rate to start in 2027, but the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, still has to approve the funding. Ministers describe the figures as provisional and say they are checking the cost and feasibility of the plan before it goes to a vote.
Around 220,000 students receive the independent-living basisbeurs, so the 110 million euro budget works out to roughly 500 euros a year per student if approved as planned, matching the 42 euro monthly figure. A rejected or delayed vote would leave the current 324.52 euro rate in place for the 2027-28 academic year too.
How the basisbeurs works
The basisbeurs starts as a loan every month you study. It converts into a gift if you complete your degree within ten years, so the balance never needs repaying once you graduate on time. DUO, the Dutch education executive agency, pays the grant monthly alongside your other student finance, and it stops the day you graduate or drop out of higher education.
The independent-living rate sits higher than the at-home rate because rent and daily costs run higher when you do not live with your parents. Your living situation, not your income, decides which of the two rates you receive, so you need to register your actual address with DUO to get the correct amount.
Why the increase is on the table
Dutch students who live away from home report a monthly shortfall of around 400 euros between their income and their costs, according to the same reporting. The proposed 42 euro rise would narrow that gap without closing it. Rent for student housing in Dutch cities has climbed faster than the basisbeurs itself over the past few years, part of why lawmakers are debating a structural increase rather than another temporary top-up.
What this means if you study in the Netherlands
If you plan to start or continue a degree in the Netherlands around 2027, do not build your budget around the higher rate until parliament votes. Treat the 42 euro increase as a possible future adjustment, not a guarantee, since ministers themselves call the figures provisional.
If your finances depend on the gap between your grant and your living costs, look at supplementary support you might already qualify for, such as housing benefit (huurtoeslag) or a part-time job alongside your studies, instead of waiting on a parliamentary decision that has not been scheduled yet.
What to do now
Budget on the current 324.52 euro rate until parliament confirms the increase.
Check DUO directly for your grant rate, since amounts adjust each academic year.
Watch for the Tweede Kamer vote before you make financial plans that depend on the 2027 increase.
Register your independent address with DUO promptly if you move out, since your listed living situation determines which rate you get.