Titus Galama and Wendy Janssens receive Microdata Access Grant
Research fellows Titus Galama and Wendy Janssens, together with Nursena Aksünger (all Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) have been awarded an ODISSEI Microdata Access Grant for a research project on the mental health effects of Dutch student finance reforms.
Navigating Change: The mental health effects of Dutch student finance reforms
The Dutch government abolished the universal student grant for higher education in 2015 but reinstated it in 2023. Debates persist on whether the financial challenges faced by cohorts without access to the basic grant contributed to mental health issues. However, conclusive causal evidence is still lacking, especially regarding reinforcement. This study aims to provide robust evidence on how the changes in the universal student grant in the Netherlands affected the mental health of higher education students, using a difference-in-differences design. It will also explore the different mental health effects of the shift to loans based on gender, migration status, and socioeconomic background. Lastly, the study will examine the potential role of genetic factors in shaping the impact of student finance reform on mental health.