The Luxembourg Government Council approved, among other measures, a reform of student financial aid to modernise the system without reducing support, as well as plans for a new reception centre in Bettembourg for 20 unaccompanied minor refugees.

The Government Council met on Monday under the chairmanship of PM Luc Frieden. Among the decisions taken was the approval of a convention between the State and the non-profit organisation Hëllef um Terrain (HUT) for the renovation of a building on Route de Luxembourg in Bettembourg. Once modernised, it will serve as a day and night reception centre for 20 unaccompanied minor refugees.

The Council also gave the green light to a reform of the legal framework for student financial aid. The system is to be modernised and adapted without calling existing support into question. The reform builds on the October 2024 agreement reached with the Association of Luxembourg Student Unions (ACEL), including a commitment to adjust aid every semester in line with indexation.

According to the government summary, the reform aims to strengthen equal opportunities, update the mechanisms of student support, and adapt the system to today's social, economic, and legal context. The four pillars of aid – the basic grant, the mobility grant, the social grant, and the family grant – remain unchanged. Financial improvements are foreseen to help students both in Luxembourg and abroad adapt to recent socio-economic developments and concentrate fully on their studies.

The details of the reform will be presented by Minister of Research and Higher Education Stéphanie Obertin at a press conference in mid-October.