A sufficient financial foundation gives students the freedom to focus fully on their studies without having to worry about money. At a time when students’ purchasing power is declining and the cost of living continues to rise, their financial position is becoming increasingly important for access to education.

An important starting point for strengthening the financial position of students is to structurally increase the basic grant. This gives students more financial leeway and makes them less dependent on loans or parental contributions.

It is also very important to keep control of the interest rate on student debt. Now that the interest rate on student loans has risen from zero per cent to 2.3 per cent (2026) after many years, it is unclear to many students how this interest rate is determined and how much further it can rise. The ISO therefore advocates an interest rate cap so that debts do not get further out of hand and students have clarity when taking out a student loan.

Tuition fees are also rising every year. Combined with the abolition of the halving of tuition fees a few years ago, this is creating additional financial pressure. The ISO therefore advocates capping the annual increase in tuition fees in order to create greater financial predictability.

The ISO has set the following goals:

• Call for a structural and significant increase in the basic grant.
• Push for an interest rate cap of 2.5% on student loans.
• To advocate for a cap on the annual increase in tuition fees.