For 20-year-old Catharina Zvenova Nissen, her student grant is not coffee money or money for an extra cheese roll. Her mother is a home care worker, while her father can no longer work after a workplace accident as a painter.
Catharina Zvenova Nissen is on the brink of losing her entire monthly student grant of 1,800 kroner, or having it reduced, if the government gets its savings on student grants for those living at home passed.
"My mother says she of course wants to help, but it can also become a bit tight in terms of how she then has to prioritize the money. I don't want to be a burden either," says Catharina Zvenova Nissen, who is studying to become an occupational therapist.
She knows her parents want to support her if the student grant disappears. But:
"I'm tired of my parents having to think about how much they can give me each month and how much they have to cut back on something else. I felt that the student grant was my own little income on the side, where I didn't need help from them."
Cuts to student grants for those living at home affect many parents. Recently, TV 2 brought an analysis from Cepos (https://nyheder.tv2.dk/politik/2026-10-07-nye-tal-18000-oekonomisk-traengte-familier-staar-til-at-miste-su-til-deres-boern). It showed that 18,000 of the "financially strained families" who received a food cheque before the general election are set to lose student grants for their children.
----------------------------
Which students lose their grant?
----------------------------
The government proposes cuts for students living at home. Earlier this week, it was reported that 82,000 students living at home would lose their student grant if their parents have a combined income of more than 710,077 kroner.
Yesterday, it emerged that students living at home whose parents earn between 419,589 and 710,077 kroner will have their grant reduced. According to the Ministry of Research, Education and Digitalisation, this concerns 33,000 students.
Thus, a total of 115,000 students living at home are affected by the government's proposal, which is set to take effect from 2028. The proposal has not yet been passed by the Danish Parliament, but will only become a reality if the government can gather a majority.
--------------------------------------------
Many students in their twenties still live at home
--------------------------------------------
It is not only young people in upper secondary education who may lose the student grant for living at home. In fact, one in four students still lives at home at age 22, while this applies to one in ten at age 24, according to DR's access to documents from the Ministry of Education and Research.
This debunks the myth that student grants for living at home are only for high school students from well-off families, believes Anton Stubbe Teglbjærg, chair of the Danish Students' Joint Council.
"It destroys the narrative of coffee money. When you are in higher education, there are large expenses for textbooks. Many pay rent to their parents or for food," says Anton Stubbe Teglbjæg.
He points out that young people stay living with parents into their twenties because it is expensive and difficult to find student housing in the largest cities.
---------------------------------------
Catharina has expenses for books and clothes
---------------------------------------
Since starting her studies to become an occupational therapist in Aarhus, Catharina Zvenova Nissen has spent 4,000 kroner on books and also pays 1,600 kroner every six months for a Studybox. Otherwise, her grant goes to, for example, clothes, transport, or if she buys food in the canteen. She is tired of losing her grant.
Danish education is free. Isn't it reasonable to work on the side instead of receiving a student grant?
"You can work on the side, but it's difficult when you start a study. There are a lot of working hours that you have to use on teaching and academic work, says Catharina Zvenova Nissen.
She says that she often comes home from classes around 3 PM and then studies until about 9-10 PM to keep up.
There are many assignments and homework, so it requires a lot to keep up with reading. In my case, it's difficult to spend many hours on the labor market alongside my studies, says Ctharina Zvenova Nissen, who would like to work if her studies become more settled.
Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.