A follow-up investigation by the Dutch education agency, Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO), has confirmed that students with a migrant background were indirectly discriminated against in the controls for student housing grants, known as the “uitwonendenbeurs.” This confirms earlier findings from an initial investigation conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and raises concerns about potential systemic bias within Dutch institutions.
The investigation, carried out by the independent foundation Algorithm Audit, utilized data from the Central Bureau of Statistics to analyze the migrant backgrounds of students who received the uitwonendenbeurs between 2012 and 2023. This data was combined with information from DUO regarding the student population receiving the grant and the outcomes of various stages in the control process.
Getting unfairly caught in the scrutiny net
The analysis revealed that students with a migrant background were disproportionately represented in certain stages of the control process, leading to an overrepresentation of these students among those who were ultimately denied the grant. This unintended bias, referred to as “vooringenomenheid” in the report, is attributed to the way the control process was designed.
One example of unintended bias identified in the report is the higher frequency of controls for students living closer to their parents. Since students from families with a recent migration history tend to live closer to their parents compared to students from families established in the Netherlands for generations, they had a higher chance of being subjected to additional scrutiny. This geographical factor, unrelated to actual eligibility, unfairly disadvantaged them.
Déjà vu? Another system needs a second look
The revelation of bias in student housing grants comes amidst ongoing efforts to address the childcare benefit scandal, which disproportionately targeted families from ethnic minorities for alleged fraud. The scandal, exposed in 2019, involved the use of algorithms that flagged these families for suspicion based on ethnicity and dual nationality, leading to financial hardship and social stigma.
The parallels between these two cases raise concerns about a potential pattern of systemic bias within Dutch institutions. As with the childcare benefit scandal, the control process for the uitwonendenbeurs appears to have resulted in unintended discrimination against students from migrant backgrounds.
DUO promises a fresh start
In response to these findings, DUO has pledged to overhaul the control process for the student housing grants to eliminate any unintended bias. The agency will utilize the results of the investigation to design a new system that will ensure fairness and equal treatment for all students, regardless of their background.
Earlier, the caretaker Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf expressed regret for the unintended discrimination faced by students with a migrant background. The minister said he was committed to keeping the House of Representatives informed about the progress of the reforms to the control process, with an update expected in the autumn.
