React

It is funny that all international student are bundled into one group. This however is not the case. I myself, I am for Suriname on basis of a study visa. I do not receive stufi, no OV and I am only allowed to work for 10 hours, with(!) a work permit. Since no employer wants to arrange a work permit, I cannot work.

So I think there should be a clear distinction between international students from the EU and student from outside the EU.

About the subject, I for one do not receive any funding from the Surinamese government so I have to arrange my own funding in the form of my parents. So in my case it would help if it were allowed that I could work without a permit and more hours or if if I could receive stufi and OV. That would at least cover my basic cost (and take the load of my sponsors ;) ). Holland is not a cheap country to live in.

As with regards to Dilyana "Why didn't you ask any Eastern Europeans (e.g. Bulgarians and Romanians) who are only allowed to work 10 hours per week due to limitations for student working permits. "

That does seem like a good argument. I did not know they could only work a maximum of 10 hours a week. If this law is changed to 12 hours, I think this should be incorporated in it..

"So instead of cutting our benefits recognize that bright international should learn Dutch and get integrated in your job market. Offer free Dutch courses, create special projects employing foreign talents at local businesses!"
Agreed! So many international students who do not know Dutch. At my previous university (Tilburg) every student had the right to follow 12 ECTS in language courses for free. I expect that more people follow a language course there (though probably more people drop out as well..) For me it was a driver to follow Spanish.

From my experience with international students I do not feel the number of hours is really the problem. The problem is frequently finding a job, because of your nationality and age you are not everywhere welcome, especially (or perhaps only) when you do not speak Dutch.

Plus, it is not as if 12 hours is such a crazy number of hours a week. I just looked up, but on average the Dutch 19-year old student is working 13 hours a week which grows steadily as they grow older up to 23 hours a week when students are 24 (http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/onderwijs/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2009/2009-2869-wm.htm)

I believe, this article does not really give a real picture about the situation with the stuFi. The students interviewed here do not really need this money in order to sustain their studies, which implies that they are not much affected by these changes. In my understanding, you did have to ask the opinion of people that really need this support. For instance people, from countries from Eastern Europe that have as an only option these finances in order to receive quality education, which is indeed supposed to be the aim of this funds. And to go further on this, I would say that this could be actually seen as another form of trying to push all the people coming from poor European countries away from the Netherlands. The Dutch government is making web-sites for complains, stopping funding, etc...Is this really integration of the European Union??

Honestly, I couldn't disagree more with Christian. I am German myself and yes it is true that our government does not do much for us to finance our studies. Yet, be aware that the Netherlands has the highest tuition fees in Europe next to only UK (which recently tripled theirs). 1800 Euros is not a joke and given that I pay taxes for the work that I pursue next to my studies, I think it is fair that we get equal benefits.

This whole discussion needs to be framed in a different way.

Why are the Dutch so keen on limiting benefits to all foreigners pay that come to benefit from their great higher education? Instead figure out a way that we want to stay in your country after our studies? If the brightest stay this would be only a gain clean of all this short-sighted 'oh no budget crisis' policy making.

So instead of cutting our benefits recognize that bright international should learn Dutch and get integrated in your job market. Offer free Dutch courses, create special projects employing foreign talents at local businesses!