Danish Students Protest Proposed Student Allowance Cuts in Copenhagen

Denmark plans to cut its student allowance scheme to fund defense spending. The proposal targets students who live with higher-income parents. Thousands of students protested against the planned cuts in Copenhagen on Monday.

Under rules in place since 1970, all Danish students over 18 receive monthly grants. Students living with parents currently get 1,154 Danish kroner each month. Students living on their own receive 7,426 Danish kroner monthly.

The government proposal ends stipends for students living with parents earning over 700,000 Danish kroner per year. Reduced stipends apply to households earning between 419,589 and 700,000 Danish kroner. Denmark's Higher Education Ministry expects 14,000 students to lose stipends entirely. Another 8,000 students will see their monthly payments reduced.

Organizers said up to 13,000 students marched from city hall square to parliament. About 40,000 students went on strike across 57 Danish schools. High School Students Association president Oscar Tonsberg Hoffmann opposed the reform. Student Kieran Hindshaw criticized welfare cuts made alongside increased military funding.

The government also proposed stricter rules for graduate unemployment benefits. Graduates must work 18 of their final 24 study months to qualify. Industry Minister Martin Lidegaard admitted these decisions are not pleasant. (Source: Al Jazeera)