Foto: Shutterstock Not every student finds it easy to get to the end of the month without going into the red. But how strapped for cash are students? And are there instances of genuine poverty? The student party Connect Wageningen, the Student Council and Student Alliance Wageningen have put together a detailed questionnaire in order to find out more.
Poverty policy
According to spokesperson Mark Reijerman of Connect, the survey was prompted in part by the municipality’s upcoming update to its poverty policy. The other organizations are also concerned about the impact of the abolition of student grants, rising room rents and the rising costs of studying at WUR. All three organizations agree that you need the numbers to get a true picture.
If you ask about the details, you make it tangible
Mark Reijerman, Connect Wageningen
They will be getting those numbers with a questionnaire that delves deep into students’ finances. Reijerman says this level of detail was a deliberate choice. ‘If you ask about the details, you make it tangible.’ In addition to a lot of questions about income and expenses, students are also asked to give their opinion. For example, should students be eligible for the social participation allowances for minimum-income groups?
Income
According to Reijerman, Wageningen students are excluded from a number of schemes for low-income groups. ‘That is partly because student loans are treated as income even though it is a loan the student has to pay back. Or you might be just above the income threshold because you’ve been saving for an internship abroad.’
The online survey will run until early January. ‘The municipality will be giving a presentation about the policy on 11 January,’ says Reijerman. ‘We need to go into that debate with a clear message.’
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