Dutch Parliament to Debate Reduction in Fees for Students at Private Institutions of HE

06.06.2021

Department of Education Backtracks after Wrongfully Informing Students of Fee Discount

The Dutch department of education (DUO) had to make a hasty backtrack after accidentally informing students at private institutions of higher education that they are entitled to a reduced study fee in the coming academic year as part of the government's response to COVID-19 and its effect on education in the Netherlands the past year. Students at public institutions are entitled to the discount.

However, the NRTO (Dutch Council for Private Universities and Institutions for Education and Training) is one of the bodies currently lobbying for this gesture of goodwill to be extended to students at private institutions like Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences. Parliament will debate the matter this coming Monday in the House of Representatives. Wittenborg is also sending out a letter this week in support of the proposal.

The Dutch government recently announced a couple of Covid-19 compensation measures. EU students will get a 50% discount on their normal tuition fees, while those outside the EU and EER who usually pay institutional fees, will get a discount of € 1,084 with the condition that they are enrolled in a "publicly funded programme”.

Meanwhile, the revised message from DUO clarifies that discounts given do not apply to students studying at privately funded institutes and that the right to receive a “tuition fee loan” has not changed but is still for the full amount of tuition fee (only applicable to Dutch and EU students).

Another support measure for students at publicly funded institutions is that those who have fallen behind with their studies because of the impact of COVID-19 are entitled to a one-off compensation amount to cover the costs of a longer period of study. Those at universities or universities of applied sciences will also get 12 months extra on their travel product with the maximum being 7 years.