Will 2026 be a more expensive year for students?

Basic grant 
The basic student grant will increase by a few euros. For students living with their parents, the benefit will increase from 126 euros to 130 euros per month, while students living away from home will see their benefit increase from 314 euros to 325 euros. The supplementary grant, which could not exceed 475 euros last year, can now go up to 491 euros. 

Tuition fees
The statutory tuition fee for this academic year is 2,601 euros. Next academic year (which starts on 1 September), the statutory tuition fee will increase by 93 euros to 2,694 euros.

International students from outside the European Economic Area and local students who already have a bachelor's or master's degree must pay the institutional tuition fee, which is thousands of euros higher. This fee, which varies by institution and ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 euros, is also increasing. 

The institutional tuition fees for the 2026-2027 academic year at Utrecht University range from 12,068 to 28,416 euros for a bachelor's degree and from 14,995 to 32,562 euros for a master's degree.

Students pursuing two degrees simultaneously can complete the second degree at the regular rate. Those pursuing a second degree in healthcare or education are also allowed to pay the statutory tuition fee rate.

Interest
Student loans have become a little cheaper in the Netherlands this year: the interest rate is falling from 2.57 to 2.33 per cent. If you have a debt of 10,000 euros, that debt will amount to 10,233 euros a year later. This interest accrues during your studies and changes every year until you graduate or stop studying.

Once you graduate, the interest rate will be fixed for five years at a time. So, for those graduating in 2025, the interest rate will remain at 2.33 per cent until 2030. The interest rate was 0 per cent for several years, but those days are over.

Rent
The Netherlands has a competitive housing market, and that is unlikely to change in 2026. Rents will most probably keep on rising. However, slightly more students will be eligible for rent subsidies this year. To qualify, you must have your own front door, so students renting rooms are not eligible, with a few exceptions.

Previously, young people up to the age of 23 were only eligible for rent allowance if they paid up to 477 euros in rent. Now, they can also apply for rent allowance if they pay more than that and are aged 18 or older. However, this subsidy is limited, and people can only receive it until the age of 21.

Health insurance
The premium for basic insurance can vary by provider, but it averages 157 euros per month, which is virtually the same as last year. The healthcare allowance is falling slightly: for the lowest incomes (so, for most students), it is going from 131 euros to 129 euros per month.

Furthermore...
Other factors can affect students' wallets. The minimum wage is going up by a few cents. It will be 7.36 euros for people aged 18 or older, which is 16 cents more than last year.

People texting or talking on the phone while cycling risk getting a 150-euro fine. Cyclists whose bike lights are not working are fined 75 euros, plus administrative costs. These are the same amounts as last year.