Published on Eurydice (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice)

2021

Financial compensation for students to be extended

News item | 21-01-2021 | 17:05

The temporary scheme compensating students in secondary vocational and higher education (MBO, HBO and WO) who are disadvantaged by the coronavirus measures will be extended until the end of August 2021. Students whose studies are delayed due to the measures and who graduate between February 2021 and the end of August 2021 will receive a one-off contribution towards their study costs. All students whose entitlement to a basic grant and/or a supplementary grant ends between October 2020 and the end of August 2021 will also receive a financial contribution. In addition, the enrolment deadline for secondary vocational education (MBO) courses has been extended by one month to 1 May 2021.

The extension package is expected to cost a total of €135 million and comes out of the €200 million already reserved for compensation to students.

Contribution towards study costs

Secondary vocational schools, institutions of higher professional education (HBO institutions) and universities are making every effort to enable all final-year students to get their qualifications as planned, despite the coronavirus measures. Unfortunately, this will not be possible for everyone due to the limitations of online learning and the cancellation of many work placements. Accordingly, the temporary scheme for financial compensation to students in secondary vocational and higher education which was due to end on 31 January will now be extended until 31 August 2021. Students who get their qualification before 31 August will receive a one-off contribution towards their study costs. The amount varies for the different types of education: €150 for students in block or day- release (BBL) courses, €300 for students in school-based vocational training (BOL) and €535 for students in higher education.

Supplementary grant

Under the extended scheme, one-off contributions will be paid to students whose right to the basic grant (MBO-BOL) and/or the supplementary grant expires between 1 October 2020 and the end of August 2021 (the scheme’s previous deadline was 30 September 2020). Students in school-based vocational training (BOL) receiving a basic grant will get €800. Those receiving the basic grant and a supplementary grant will get a one-off payment of €2,000. Higher education students receiving the supplementary grant will get a one-off payment of €1,500.

Enrolment deadline for secondary vocational education (MBO) extended by one month

Students who wish to do a course in secondary vocational education (MBO) must enrol no later than 1 May 2021. The enrolment deadline has been extended by a month, as most of this orientation now has to take place online and future students need to have enough time to explore the options and make a sound choice. The deadline of 1 May already applies to young people enrolling in higher education (HBO institutions and universities).

2020

Reintroduction of lottery-based course admissions

News item | 11-12-2020 | 15:00

In order to combat inequality of opportunity and ensure courses are broadly accessible, higher education institutions (HBO institutions and universities) may draw lots to select students for courses where a quota (numerus fixus) applies. Drawing lots will be one of the instruments that educational institutions are permitted to use. The reintroduction of this instrument will require an amendment to the Higher Education and Research Act. The cabinet has approved education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven’s proposal to this end.

Inequality of opportunity

Since 2013, students applying for courses with a limited number of places have been selected by the educational institution based on at least two qualitative criteria, such as their marks and an interview about their motivation. The Inspectorate of Education found that the group of students enrolled in these courses is less diverse than those in other courses. This suggests that courses with student quotas may be less accessible to some groups. Lottery-based admission is one way to tackle this problem.

Tailored approach

Several educational institutions have indicated a preference for a more tailored approach in their selection procedures. This is why the proposed amendment would introduce drawing lots as a permitted form of selection for all associate degree programmes and bachelor’s degree programmes with a quota.

Institutions can opt to use drawing lots as the only selection instrument or in addition to their current selection procedure based on at least two qualitative criteria.

In a weighted draw, the results of the qualitative selection criteria count towards the candidate’s chance of winning a place. Additionally, an institution may opt to admit a certain number of applicants based on the selection criteria and then allocate the remaining places by drawing lots. This approach also helps reduce the inequality of opportunity.

The cabinet has agreed to submit the bill to the Council of State for its advisory opinion. The text of the bill and the advisory opinion will be published when the bill is sent to the House of Representatives.

Education ministry earmarks €1.4 million for innovative online higher education

News item | 28-05-2020 | 11:00

Today the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and SURF, the collaborative IT organisation for education and research in the Netherlands, jointly opened the latest round of the Open and Online Higher Education grant scheme. This multiannual scheme provides grants of up to €175,000 each to innovative and experimental online projects in higher education. Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven has made €1.4 million available for this round.

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science wants to encourage institutions of higher professional education (HBO institutions) and universities to boost the quality of education and to share, reuse and improve high-quality collections of open learning materials. The Open and Online Higher Education grant scheme was introduced in 2015, and grant rounds are held annually. The ministry runs the scheme jointly with SURF.

Surge in demand

Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven: ‘This existing scheme was already fulfilling the sector’s need for funding for this type of activity. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in demand for online education, and I expect that higher education institutions will want to push for more innovation and greater collaboration on online learning materials. Through this scheme I’m encouraging teachers and other education professionals to take their online higher education projects to a higher level, and to make this form of teaching even more attractive and challenging for students.’

Virtual reality

One of the earliest online education projects to benefit from the scheme is ‘PleitVRij’, a programme for law students. It uses virtual reality to pit students against each other in a virtual courtroom in order to practise the various skills needed in legal proceedings. They also receive peer feedback in real time.

A prime example of open learning materials can be found in the project ‘Samen HBO Verpleegkunde’ (‘Teaming up for nursing education’) in which five HBO institutions have jointly set up a platform for teachers and students to develop, share, assess and reuse learning materials. To date, 17 institutions have joined this learning community. Applications

The new round for applications under the Open and Online Higher Education grant scheme starts today. On Wednesday 17 June there will be an informative online meeting for education professionals, where SURF and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will explain how the scheme works. The meeting is open to all interested parties. More information can be found on the SURF website.

An extra €500 million for students and summer schools

News item | 15-05-2020 | 15:30

The government is earmarking almost €500 million in extra funding for education. Some €200 million will go to students in higher education to help cushion the impact of the coronavirus measures on them. An additional €244 million will be invested in primary, secondary and secondary vocational education to address learning loss caused by the crisis.

Tuition fee compensation for students

Students in secondary vocational and higher education who need to re-register for the coming academic year in order to get their qualification between September 2020 and the end of January 2021 will receive a one-off contribution towards their tuition fees. In addition, every student whose right to a basic or supplementary grant expires in July, August or September 2020 will also be entitled to compensation under this scheme.

Study delay

In response to the coronavirus measures, secondary vocational and higher education institutions have had to switch to online teaching as far as possible. Although every effort is made to prevent study delay, this will inevitably affect work placements, clinical placements and practical lessons. Students in their final year cannot put off doing parts of their course until next year. Accordingly, all students who need to re-register for the coming academic year in order to get their qualification between September 2020 and the end of January 2021 will receive compensation roughly equal to three months of fees for their education and/or training programmes. The amounts are as follows: €150 per student in block or day-release vocational training (BBL), €300 per student in school-based vocational training (BOL) and €535 per student in higher education.

Supplementary grant

The government is also introducing a measure specifically for students whose right to a basic grant (for school-based vocational training (BOL)) and/or a supplementary grant is due to expire in July, August or September 2020. These students will receive a one-off payment, as follows: €800 per BOL student with a basic grant, €2,000 per BOL student with a basic and a supplementary grant and €1,500 per higher education student with a supplementary grant.

Learning loss due to COVID-19 Primary, secondary and secondary vocational schools will receive €244 million to provide tailored assistance for pupils and students who have suffered learning losses caused by the coronavirus measures. In the 2020/2021 school year, early childhood education providers and schools will be able to use the money to offer catch-up programmes alongside their regular educational activities. The extra activities may be outsourced, as is common practice with summer schools.

Apprenticeships

It is vital to have sufficient work placements and apprenticeships for secondary vocational education students, both during and after the coronavirus crisis. To this end, businesses that offer apprenticeships and workplace training opportunities will be able to apply for their grant to be paid in advance under a new incentive scheme. The government has also increased the size of grants for apprenticeships at businesses in vulnerable sectors, such as contact-based occupations and sectors that are sensitive to economic fluctuations. Finally the government is making an extra €30 million available as a general incentive for as many businesses as possible to offer work placements and apprenticeships for vocational education students.

Newcomers to the Netherlands

The current situation brings additional challenges for newcomers entering the Dutch education system, many of whom are not fluent in Dutch. Online learning has been found to be less effective for these learners, compared to learners who are proficient in Dutch. The government is earmarking an extra €21 million to tackle this type of educational disadvantage.

Cap on institutional tuition fees will make higher education more accessible

News item | 06-03-2020 | 15:45

The cabinet has approved the Language of Instruction and Accessibility (Higher Education) Bill proposed by education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven, which will cap institutional tuition fees for Dutch students and students from the European Economic Area (EEA). This will also make it easier for graduates to do a second degree.

At the same time, the government will set a minimum tuition fee for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to prevent large numbers of international students taking advantage of heavily public-funded courses intended to benefit Dutch students. Under the new measures, the maximum tuition fee for Dutch and EEA students will be the same as the minimum fee for non-EEA students.

Statutory tuition fee for first degree programme Dutch and EEA students doing their first bachelor’s or master’s degree only pay the statutory tuition fee. Some categories of student instead pay the institutional tuition fee set by the institution where they are studying. Institutional tuition fees

Institutional tuition fees are set by universities or higher professional education (HBO) institutions themselves and apply to all non-EEA students and to graduates doing a second bachelor’s or master’s degree after they have completed their first degree programme. Institutional tuition fees may not be lower than the statutory tuition fee.

Under the bill, the government will set a cap on the institutional tuition fee for Dutch and EEA students.

The Language of Instruction and Accessibility (Higher Education) Bill has been passed by the House of Representatives. The bill’s associated regulations are being elaborated pending the Senate’s debate on the bill.

2019

More balanced internationalisation in higher education

News item | 06-09-2019 | 15:00

Students from other countries help to enhance Dutch research, the economy and the job market. While internationalisation in higher education is of great value to Dutch society, the rising numbers of international students mustn’t reach extremes. A recent Interministerial Policy Review (IBO) warns that internationalisation could threaten the funding, quality and accessibility of education. To restore the balance, the government wants to introduce stricter rules on the language of instruction, raise fees for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and make it possible to restrict the intake on courses taught in a language other than Dutch.

These measures are part of the Language and Accessibility Bill, which builds on the IBO recommendations on internationalisation in higher education. The cabinet has approved education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven’s proposal to submit the bill to the House of Representatives.

‘Internationalisation in higher education is a boon for our knowledge economy, the private sector and the job market. Long may this continue!’ Ms Van Engelshoven said. ‘However, research shows that the proliferation of foreign students and courses taught in English is putting too much pressure on higher education here. There’s a real risk that the system will soon be unable to cope with the numbers of new students. It will squeeze funding for higher education and also crowd out Dutch students. So I’m introducing these measures to safeguard the quality and accessibility of higher education, and ensure that the international dimension is more in harmony with other aspects of Dutch higher education.’

More focus on proficiency in Dutch The IBO study shows that continued growth in the number of international students and English- taught courses could undermine students’ proficiency in Dutch. The minister wants to avert this. The law currently requires higher education institutions to promote Dutch-language proficiency among Dutch students. The proposed amendment will extend this requirement and make institutions responsible for facilitating foreign students’ acquisition of Dutch, too. This will enhance the students’ links with their host community and the regional job market, increase their employability and strengthen the position of Dutch as a language of scientific research. It will also increase the likelihood of international students staying on in the Netherlands, which is good for the job market. In addition, institutions offering the bulk of their tuition in a language other than Dutch will be assessed by the Netherlands-Flanders Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) on whether these courses add value as claimed. Ms Van Engelshoven emphasised, ‘As the minister of culture, I also have a strong vested interest in the Dutch language.’

Quotas for non-Dutch courses

Under the terms of the Language and Accessibility Bill, a student quota (numerus fixus) may be introduced for courses where the language of instruction is not Dutch and where there is a capacity problem. This quota does not have to apply to the entire bachelor’s or associate degree (AD) programme, but only to classes not taught in Dutch. This will safeguard access to the Dutch-language course variant. It will also be mandatory to obtain the minister’s consent for restricting the intake to a course.

Stricter regulation of tuition fees for non-EEA students

The minister wants to introduce a higher minimum rate for tuition fees payable by non-EEA students, so that student flows from outside the EEA do not have negative financial effects for the institutions in question. The new minimum rate will be the same as the maximum tuition fee chargeable to EEA students, which will also be regulated by the bill. The tuition fee ceiling for EEA students is mainly intended to ensure the affordability of studying for a second degree.

More grants for Dutch students who want to study abroad

The number of international students studying in the Netherlands is five times higher than the number of Dutch students studying abroad. International students are attracted to Dutch higher education providers partly by the funding incentives that have actively encouraged applications from abroad. Now that there is less need to attract foreign students, the government has other plans for the funding previously channelled to the Netherlands Education Support Offices (NESO) run by the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic).

The money will now be spent on strengthening knowledge diplomacy at Dutch embassies, thus safeguarding Dutch education and research interests abroad. In addition, the government and Dutch higher education institutions have jointly reduced the number of Holland Scholarships for incoming students and doubled the number of grants (to around 1,540 from the 2020/2021 academic year) for Dutch students who want to study abroad. Doubling the number of grants available will particularly encourage study abroad by students for whom this is less common, such as ethnic minority students, students with family responsibilities or students with a disability.

Greater stability in higher education funding

News item | 21-06-2019 | 14:15

The cabinet has approved education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven’s proposal to make the current funding system (based strongly on student numbers) more fixed in character. This will support inter- institutional cooperation and lessen competition between higher education providers, as enrolling as many students as possible will no longer lead to substantially more funding. If a greater proportion of their funding is fixed, higher education institutions will have more certainty. The shift will mainly benefit institutions that offer a second chance to students who have dropped out of their course at another higher education institution. It will also enable investment in the teaching capacity of engineering and technology courses. To get a clearer picture of the actual costs of higher education and research, the minister is commissioning a study that will also assess the adequacy of the budget as a whole. The plan is outlined in the government’s response to the recommendations of the Van Rijn Committee.

Soft landing

In essence, the education minister is following the advice of the Van Rijn Committee. As the Committee pointed out, changing the balance between fixed and variable funding will lead to a redistribution of funds among higher education institutions, which will inevitably also have negative effects. To offset these while the current government is still in office, the Spring Memorandum set aside €41 million for investment in engineering and technology in higher education. This will deliver the promised ‘soft landing’ and cushion the negative effects of redistributed funding for universities. Higher professional education institutions (HBO institutions, hogescholen) will suffer no negative redistribution effects at all. During the first two years, the lump sum that each university receives will remain the same and even after 2022, any reduction as a result of the new funding system will be subject to a ceiling of 2% of the total government funding the university receives. This measure reinforces the importance of academic learning in the broadest sense. The minister holds the view that funding for humanities, social sciences and medical sciences should remain at the current level. This too will be covered by the proposed budget study.

In tune with the Van Rijn Committee’s recommendations, the government is opting to invest in engineering and technology courses not only at universities but also at HBO institutions. This investment will be tied to an obligation for institutions to boost students’ successful completion of these courses, take maximum advantage of the available teaching capacity and improve the link with the job market.

Higher proportion of fixed funding

Of the total government funding allocated annually to universities, €324 million that was previously based on student numbers (variable) will acquire a fixed character. This means that 60% of government funding for universities will be variable and 40% fixed, as opposed to 72% variable and 28% fixed in the past. For HBO institutions the proportions will shift from 87% variable and 13% fixed to 80% and 20% respectively. This will mean a shift of €272 million.

Research: restoring the balance between competition and cooperation Research funding is another area in which the government is following the advice of the Van Rijn Committee. The balance between inter-university cooperation and competitive bidding for grants will be restored by transferring some public funding for research from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to universities. Instead of the NWO allocating this money to universities by means of grants that must always be matched with university co-funding, the money will go directly into the universities’ purse, giving them more financial scope to fund other research. Moreover, the time and energy that researchers currently have to spend on applying for and assessing research proposals for NWO programmes can then be directly invested in the research itself. Some €60 million will be transferred by 2020. The universities are working with the NWO and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) on a proposal to ultimately increase this sum to €100 million.

Greater insight into the cost of higher education

The minister wants to commission an independent study into the relationship between costs and quality of higher education and research. Its findings will help create a more transparent funding system that is more in line with the actual costs of higher education and research. The study will also assess the adequacy of the current higher education and research budget as a whole in terms of its intended quality and effectiveness.

2018

7.8 million for cooperation between the business community and MBO schools

News item 22-10-2018 | 09:30

Eight collaborations of MBO schools and companies, focused on information technology, sustainability, care, construction and infrastructure, logistics and catering establishments will receive a total of 7.8 million euros to improve the link between education and the labor market. The investments come from the Regional investment fund MBO.

Minister Van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) is enthusiastic about the collaboration: "In order to prepare students for their future, it is necessary that training is up to date. It is therefore nice to see that MBO schools and companies invest together to further improve the connection between the two."

Agriculture and energy

Among the awards are, for example, AOC Oost and the agricultural sector in the east of the Netherlands. There is increasing demand for MBO skilled workers in the agricultural sector, while the number of students at the AOC is decreasing. Through a better connection between education and the labor market, this partnership is trying to stop this trend.

Another example is the energy college where seven schools and the three northern provinces have united. They work together with the business community on sustainable alternatives to remain the leading region in the field of energy nationwide. This transition requires many more employees in the sustainable energy sector and a lot of new knowledge and skills among staff.

Goal Regional Investment Fund MBO The aim of the Regional Investment Fund (RIF) is to prepare MBO students even better for the current and future labor market, by allowing them to work with state of the art techniques and methods during their studies. With these awards, a total of 119 joint ventures have been established since 2014. All these projects are on a map. They have received a total of more than 108 million euros from the fund. The business community, education and other authorities have also invested 231 million euros.

New round

Collaborations between schools and businesses will have two opportunities next year for submitting plans for the RIF. The next application period is January 2019. From then on, it will also be possible for successful partnerships to scale up their previous projects.

More than 1000 euros discount for new students

News item 10-07-2018 | 22:54

All new students at universities of applied sciences and universities will pay half the tuition fee from the next academic year (2018-2019). That amounts to a discount of more than 1000 euros that will apply to bachelor and associate degree programs. With this measure from the coalition agreement, the government wants to make higher education more accessible. The Senate today agreed with this 'Law reduced statutory tuition fee' of Minister Van Engelshoven (Education).

Students who have not studied before, will no longer pay 2060 euros for the first academic year, but 1030 euros, from academic year 2018-2019. The government is thus removing financial barriers for all prospective students. Also students, for example, at University Colleges and part-time students (also at the Open University) will pay only half of the tuition fees that apply to them in the first year.

Extra year discount for teacher training

In teacher training, students even get a halving of their tuition fees for two years. They receive a discount of more than 2000 euros. The government wants to attract more students to the profession of the teacher. The discount applies to students who start their study program in higher education from academic year 2018-2019 and they receive a maximum of two years' reduction of the tuition fees.

Quickly arranged

Minister Van Engelshoven: 'Students are really happy about this. When you go to college, tuition fees are pretty much the first bill you get. It really matters if there is over 2000 euros on it, or the 1000 that we have arranged now. All students who start their studies in higher education from September onwards benefit from this. DUO, Studielink and the educational institutions have arranged everything on time so that this amendment can be implemented so quickly.'

Extra money for 12 new open and online education projects

News item | 24-04-2018

The fourth round of the incentive scheme set up by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science for open and online higher education has produced 12 outstanding, new, innovative projects. A total of €1,100,000 has been allocated to these projects so that they can raise their activities to an even higher level. This was announced today by the SURF consortium for IT in Dutch education and research and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

The incentive scheme is intended for teachers who want to use digital innovation to improve standards of teaching. Pressure of work often prevents staff from thinking innovatively about their teaching. The scheme enables them to free up time for this purpose. The educational institution must at least match the government grant.

In previous years, educational institutions could submit applications for funding under a single heading, i.e. open and online education. This year, they could do so under two separate headings, i.e. online education, and open-source teaching materials. Peer feedback (students assessing each other’s work) plays a central role in this year’s online education projects.

The incentive scheme was set up in 2014 and was adapted last year because the government wanted to create more scope for sharing and reusing open-source teaching materials. For this purpose, several institutions work together in subject communities. A good example is the nursing education project in which five universities of applied science (HBO institutions) offering nursing courses set up a platform and developed a quality assurance model for open-source teaching materials, encouraging the community to share and reuse them. This project has now received funding to expand the community to include all 17 HBO institutions offering nursing courses.

PleitVRij is an example of an online education project, which is carried out by the University of Groningen and VU Amsterdam. Using virtual reality, students from the two universities face each other across a virtual, but authentic, courtroom, so that they can practice their courtroom skills and receive real-time peer feedback.

SURF is responsible for supervising the projects, coordinating knowledge-sharing and disseminating the projects’ results. SURF’s Scientific Technical Council (WTR) assesses project proposals and advises the minister on awarding or rejecting grant applications. The minister has adopted the WTR’s recommendations.

SURF’s website gives an overview of all 12 open and online higher education projects selected for funding.

Students, staff and management to decide on spending plans for freed up millions

News item | 09-04-2018

Universities, HBO institutions and students have reached agreement with education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven on spending the funding freed up by the termination of the student grant system. In 2019, higher education institutions will receive a total of €184 million for their plans, increasing to €550 million by 2024. Students and staff will play an essential role in drafting plans for spending the extra money, which must be used to improve the quality of higher education. Every institution will be required to submit a plan setting out their aims and the measures they will take up to 2024.

Today, representatives of student organisation ISO and the Dutch Student Union LSVb, the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and Ms Van Engelshoven put their signatures to the agreement. ‘It’s excellent that managers, students and staff can decide how the money freed up by terminating the student grants should be spent,’ said the minister. 'Every higher education institution has its own priorities in improving standards. I’m confident that, on the basis of dialogue at each institution, the extra money will be spent wisely. This agreement fulfils our promise to students that the money freed up by terminating the student grant system will be invested in improving the quality of education.’

The current approach, reflected in these quality agreements, differs fundamentally from the performance-related agreements adopted in 2012-2016, which included mandatory performance indicators. The government has now chosen to put more trust in the education sector and give it more latitude. And it has decided to reduce institutions’ administrative burden.

There are various ways in which higher education institutions could spend the money, such as more personal tutors for students, improving teachers’ digital skills or adapting buildings to improve the quality of education. ‘Some institutions may decide to appoint more teaching staff. That will enable closer contact between students and staff,’ said Ms Van Engelshoven.

Higher education institutions will provide extra support to student and staff participation councils in drafting the plans and reading budgets, for example. Student council members will be given sufficient time to fulfil these tasks.

Assessment

The plans and their implementation will be assessed by the autonomous Netherlands-Flanders Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) by 2020 at the latest. Institutions whose plans are deemed to be inadequate will have another year to improve them.

In 2022 the plans will be reviewed to assess whether institutions are achieving the envisaged results. If that is not the case, the institution will be given another chance. If its results are still below par, it will lose money. However, students will not be the victims. The money will be channelled to the same institution through the Comenius programme for inspired and excellent teaching. 'In this scenario, too, we will be putting extra money into better higher education,’ commented the minister.

The quality agreements are part of the government’s agreements with the higher education sector, which also include measures to mitigate the negative effects of individual universities’ student selection procedures, improve the link between secondary education, including MBO, and higher professional education (HBO), and achieve the target figures for numbers of women professors, and the launch of the new HBO Centres of Expertise.

Proposal to halve tuition fees sent to House of Representatives

News item | 16-03-2018

As of the 2018/2019 academic year tuition fees for the first year will be halved for all students entering higher education for the first time. This amounts to a reduction of more than €1,000, which will apply to first-time students enrolled in bachelor and associate degree programmes. This measure was included in the coalition agreement to make higher education as accessible as possible.

The education ministry has worked very hard in the past few months to flesh out the agreement into a bill. The cabinet has now approved education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven’s proposal to submit the bill to the House of Representatives.

If the parliamentary procedure goes to plan and the bill is approved, first-time students entering higher education in the 2018/2019 academic year will pay €1,030 for the first year instead of €2,060. With this measure, the government is hoping to remove as many financial obstacles as possible for new students. Students at university colleges and the Open University as well as part-time students will also be eligible for a 50% reduction in their tuition fees for the first year.

Tuition fees for students entering teacher training courses will be halved for both the first and second years, a reduction of more than €2,000. The government has taken this measure to generate more interest among students in the teaching profession. The reduction is for students entering higher education for the first time in the 2018/2019 academic year, and applies for a maximum of two years.

‘The bill is good news for new students,’ said Ms Van Engelshoven. ‘From September, all first-time students will benefit from a reduction of more than €1,000. It’s important that future students take account of our plans when deciding which course to take. So we’ll be launching an online campaign presenting them with the prospect of a 50% reduction in their tuition fees.’

Progress on plan to halve higher education tuition fees

News item | 02-02-2018

To make higher education as accessible as possible, the coalition agreement set out plans to halve tuition fees for students entering higher education for the first time. The measure will be introduced in the 2018/2019 academic year. In recent months, the education ministry has worked hard on a bill that will implement the plans. The cabinet has approved the bill proposed by education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven and has sent it to the Council of State for an urgent advisory opinion.

Once the bill is passed, the tuition fee for students entering higher education for the first time will be €1,030 in 2018/2019 instead of €2,060. The government hopes that this will remove all possible financial obstacles for future students. Part-time and university college students will also be eligible for the 50% reduced tuition fee in their first year.

Students taking teacher training courses will be eligible for the reduced fee for two years, not one. The government intends this as an extra incentive towards tackling the current shortage of teachers. The reduced tuition fee only applies to students entering Dutch higher education for the first time in or after the 2018/2019 academic year;

Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven commented, ‘The coalition agreement contains good news for future students. I’m doing all I can to ensure that the reduced fees apply as of this coming academic year. The government hopes that this measure will enable everyone to access higher education in the near future.’

The cabinet has agreed to forward the bill to the Council of State for an advisory opinion. The Council has been asked to respond as a matter of urgency, so that students can weigh up further study options in light of the new measure, preferably before they apply for a course. The bill is expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives sometime in March 2018.

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