A large pile of paper lies in front of Maurice Limmen. Behind the chair of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences are crates filled with even more objections from students against the slow-progress penalty. Standing at the entrance of the House of Representatives with a microphone in hand, Limmen begins reading from the top of the pile.
‘I object to the penalty. I am a delayed student due to my mother’s death. I also acted as a carer for my brother after his accident until he passed away’
Limmen reads another: “During my nursing studies, my grandfather died of lung cancer and while writing my thesis, I was told a friend was gravely ill.” Due to mental health issues, this student took three extra years to complete her studies. “It is unfair that I would be penalised for taking longer to study because of my mental health.”
25,000
Over the past month, higher education institutions collected more than 25,000 objections from students and staff against the government’s plan to introduce a slow-progress penalty. Today marks the start of a ‘reading marathon’ – as all objections must be heard, argues the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. Among those participating, Rob Jetten (D66 party leader), Jimmy Dijk (SP), and Laurens Dassen (Volt) each spend 15 minutes reading dozens of objections.
The new cabinet plans that from 2026, any bachelor’s or master’s student who extends their studies by more than a year will have to pay an additional 3,000 euros in tuition fees. This measure is expected to bring in about 285 million euros annually for the treasury. While it is just one of many budget cuts in higher education, this slow-progress penalty is the most striking.
Injuries and part-time jobs
And the most disliked. Universities and hogescholen are staunchly opposed. Students too: in their objections, they call the penalty ‘ridiculous’, ‘unfair’, ‘unlawful’, and ‘nonsensical’.
They explain there are numerous reasons for study delays: illness, a family death, debt, part-time jobs, mental health issues, performance pressure, chronic illness…
A sports student has faced significant delays due to two severe injuries. A vocational student has been stacking one course after another for years to advance and would also be affected by the penalty. It is a ‘step backward for humanity’, reads Volt leader Laurens Dassen from one of the objections.
Consequences already felt
As Dassen continues, Maurice Limmen explains why he is visiting other universities to have the objections read aloud. “The penalty is a barrier to participating in higher education”, he states.
Recently, he visited Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, where a woman told him she plans to choose a different course due to the proposed penalty: instead of a bachelor’s degree, she will opt for an associate degree, which would not be subject to the penalty under current government plans. Limmen says, “This woman said: I can just afford to study again, but I can’t handle the extra penalty.” The announcement of the penalty is already ‘having an impact’, Limmen observes.
A push in the right direction?
“It’s the sheer range of reasons that strikes me”, says D66 leader Rob Jetten after his turn reading. “I recently spoke to a student who has worked their way up step by step. For them, the penalty is another reason to reconsider continuing their studies. The measure affects the very group that can advance themselves through higher education.”
Do some extended students actually benefit from a push to speed up their studies? “Those students exist, but they are a small group”, Jetten estimates. “Meanwhile, the penalty causes stress for everyone. If the minister manages to exclude certain student groups when drafting the legislation, the financial gain from the penalty will be so small that it raises the question of why pursue it at all.”
SP leader Jimmy Dijk is now ready to take over from Laurens Dassen. This month, the reading marathon will continue at Leiden University of Applied Sciences and other institutions. It will then return to The Hague, where on Tuesday 26 November, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences will present all objections to the parliamentary education committee.
