From 1 January next, the University of Twente only wants to admit new PhD scholarship students if they receive a scholarship above the IND norm. This intention stems from joint agreements between universities in a UNL context. From a wellbeing perspective, UT does not consider it desirable for scholarship PhD students to have too low an income, making it difficult or impossible for them to make ends meet. The precise implementation of this intention will be developed in the coming months.
Minimum monthly income
The IND (Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service) applies a minimum monthly income required to obtain a residence permit. This is set at €1,613 per month (gross). This standard is indexed twice a year, and has increased by 27% over the past four years due to the sharply rising cost of living. However, some scholarship providers provide lower scholarships, ranging from €1,000 to €1,500 per month.
Supplement
In recent years, UT, together with other universities, has consistently argued for a tax scheme in which universities can supplement the scholarship of these PhD students. However, without an arrangement for this, the fiscal risks for both the scholarship PhD students and the university are too great. In the coming period, we will continue to advocate together for a tax scheme that allows for the possibility of a so-called top-up scholarship.
We also continue to urge the largest scholarship providers to bring their scholarships in line with the IND standard.
