‘BKR is lobbying for student loan debt registration’

ISO has received word that the Central Credit Registration Office (BKR) feels that the non-registration of student loan debt constitutes a problem to the entire financial industry, now that student loan debt is mounting.

The Intercity Students’ Organisation (ISO) has drawn this conclusion from an e-mail exchange between BKR and Dutch credit issuers who are united in the Central Credit Information System (CKI). Apparently, BKR, which previously unsuccessfully sought to have student loan debt registered, now feels the time is right for a new attempt.

'Opportunity'

According to ISO, the e-mails show that BKR and Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a public relations consulting company, feel that ‘an opportunity’ has arisen due to the current ‘student loan debt situation’ and the fact that ‘DUO is not very thorough in the provision of data’. In their new lobbying attempt, BKR and Hill+Knowlton are claiming that the non-registration of student loan debts poses a problem to the entire industry – so not just to BKR, but to banks, debt counsellors and other parties involved.

ISO is shocked about ‘BKR’s large-scale effort to get CKI, and thus the banking industry, involved in lobbying for BKR registration of student loan debts,’ says ISO President Tom van den Brink. “They are arguing for even greater supervision and monitoring of student loan debts, precisely at a time when it has been shown that former students are having a harder time getting a mortgage.”

Afraid to borrow money

When student loans were introduced in the Netherlands a couple of years ago, the then Minister for Education, Jet Bussemaker, prevented student loans from being registered with BKR, as proponents of the new student loans felt that registration would unnecessarily make students afraid to apply for a loan.

As a result of this decision, university graduates are currently able to hide the fact that they have outstanding student loan debts when they apply for a mortgage, although it is illegal to do so. The matter is becoming increasingly acute because student loan debt is mounting. The Dutch Homeowners’ Association (Vereniging Eigen Huis) argued for BKR registration of student loans back in 2016.