The Education Executive Agency (DUO) has received a lot more applications for a basic grant than it had expected in advance. By Friday morning, more than 454,000 students had applied for a grant. That is more than 19,000 more than DUO had counted on, a spokesperson confirms. In an earlier forecast, the service assumed 435,000 applications. This concerns HBO and university students who will start their studies this summer and those who had already started their studies, but are entitled to a grant under the new system.
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DUO does not yet have an explanation for the difference between the expected and actual number of students. The spokesperson explains that the service made a calculation of the number of students at the time the cabinet in October last year decided to reintroduce the basic grant. At the beginning of June, the Senate approved the plan, which meant the definitive end of the loan system, after which DUO launched a campaign to persuade (new) students to apply for their basic grant. The number of first-year students may be higher than expected. The actual number will be announced on October 1.
The fact that the final number of grant applications is higher than expected does not cause problems for the service or a later payment for students. Anyone who has registered before 1 September and is entitled to a basic grant will receive this payment in three weeks, according to the spokesperson. For people living at home it is 110.30 euros and students living in rooms receive 439.20. Those who have not yet registered, but will do so, will be paid later. DUO will inform the group that has not registered but may be entitled to a basic grant of this possibility.