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25 November 2003
BRUSSELS – An investigation into Flemish student grants has criticised eligibility conditions and the size of the grants.
Researchers found conditions under which grants could be accorded as too strict, with only students living on the poverty line eligible for a grant.
Also, student grants were found to seldom cover the full cost of studying, with parents often having to help out.
Researchers looked at the evolution of the number and size of student grants over the past 15 years, and discovered that the number of grant students had fallen as a result of increased prosperity.
The consultation group added that polytechnics were justified in their demands for more cash for social provisions, as more of their students came from poorer backgrounds than in the case of universities.
Subject: Belgian news