Dutch government announces plans to change the state funding for part time higher education programmes in the Netherlands.

Part-time degree programmes in Holland will no longer be directly funded by government.

Specially targeted programmes, for instance in technology and health will be stimulated by making scholarships available to students to pay their fees. This means that institutions will no longer receive funding for part time degree programmes, however funding will be given to students themselves, allowing them to choose the best programme, at the institute of their choice.

According to Ria van’t Klooster, director of the Netherlands Association of Training and Education (NRTO), the changes in the law will herald the beginning of the development towards a level playing field in Higher Education in the Netherlands, where there is often an imbalance in funding of part time programmes. “NRTO will speedily hold further discussions with the State Secretary, employers, students and the Dutch Higher Education institutes, to further develop the plans.”

NRTO had earlier announced its support for the State Secretary’s plans, which are based on research into the area of part time degree studies, financing and student populations.