New law adds extra compensation for loan-system students

The Netherlands has a new law that adds extra compensation (aanvullende tegemoetkoming) for students who studied under the student loan system, when higher-education students could not claim a basic grant. The law, dated 28 October 2026, amends the Wet studiefinanciering 2000, the student finance act. It has been published in the Staatsblad, the official journal.

The preamble says it is fair ("billijk") to give these students extra compensation. The law defines it as a payment from the minister, not counted as student finance, for following higher education at a time when a student could not claim a basic grant (basisbeurs) under the Wet studievoorschot hoger onderwijs.

Health data

The law also gives the minister a legal basis to process health data where this is necessary for decisions on listed provisions of the act. These include article 12.30, which covers the compensation.

The minister must keep the data for up to ten years after the decision is taken. Exceptions apply: in some cases the data is kept until five years after the person's rights and obligations under the act have ended, and it is kept no longer than two years after the person's death if that comes earlier.

Only authorised people working under the minister's authority may access the data. A ministerial regulation will set out who is authorised.