The Dutch Student Union (LSVb) is planning to take action against the new Dutch coalition’s plans to fine students who experience study delays.
The new government plans to fine bachelor’s and master’s students with a study delay of longer than a year. This fine will be €3,000 on top of their usual tuition fees, which will be €2,560 for Dutch and European students next year. The fine is set to become effective in 2026 when by then it’s likely the tuition fees will be even higher.
Elisa Weehuizen, chairperson of the National Student Union, thinks it’s a puzzling measure. “This measure will make mistakes impossible and will ensure immense pressure,” she told DVHN. The union said it plans to take action.
A student counsellor at the University of Groningen (RUG) also told DVHN that a student with study delays is not necessarily being lazy. Delays could be the result of medical or psychological problems, family issues, doing extra courses, or working besides studying because of financial problems.
The RUG and Hanze are extremely disappointed with the new plans. On the website Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) Jouke de Vries, head of the RUG’s executive board said that the fine will make the bar for studying further higher, especially for students from lower-income families.
The idea for the study fine isn’t new, however. In 2012 it was also enforced, though very shortly as the government fell shortly after. Following a motion by the VVD and PvdA about the 2013 budget it was dropped completely.
