The four parties currently negotiating to form a new cabinet may be considering bringing back some form of student grant, the Telegraaf said on Tuesday.

Since 2015, new students have been unable to get any form of grant to help pay for their studies, unless they come from very poor families.

Sources told the paper that no decision has yet been taken and that the four parties – VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie – realise such a move would be expensive.

The CDA is the principle backer of bringing back grants in some form – particularly for bachelor students, the paper said.

Students now leave university or college with an average debt of €14,000, according to figures from student organisation ISO earlier this year. They are also more likely to live at home to cut costs.