The annual fees for attending a Dutch university or hbo college will rise by over €200 this year to €2,530, while trade school fees go up by around €60 to €1,419.

The new fees apply to students from throughout the EU and EEA. It is up to universities and colleges how much they charge students from outside the trading bloc, but most degree courses cost between €9,000 and €20,0000 a year.

Despite the increase in fees, the basic grant available to domestic students and foreign students who work enough hours alongside their study will go down to €302 from the coming academic year.

This is because the temporary additional grant of €164 to help students cope with soaring inflation is being scrapped. Opposition MPs had urged the government to extend the inflation top-up but a majority of MPs did not back the plan.

Students from low income families can claim an additional grant while all students can borrow more money from the DUO student financing organisation during their studies. That money will have to be paid back with interest.

Students who do not complete their degree must also pay back the basic grant.

The new government also plans to double the fees for students who take more than a year extra to complete their degree.