Inflation erodes internship allowances for university students

The value of students’ internship allowances is steadily declining, according to the Central Planning Bureau. That is, if they even receive an allowance at all. In education, interns often receive nothing.

Prices have risen faster than internship allowances in recent years. Master’s students received an average of 400 euros in 2016, but adjusted for inflation, this amounted to just 350 euros by 2023.

This was reported by the Central Planning Bureau (CPB), which conducted research for the Ministry of Education into how many students received an allowance and how much it was between 2016 and 2023.

The findings also reveal that internship allowances are still far from standard in education. In 2016, about 30 per cent of trainee teachers received an allowance; by 2023, this had increased to 43 per cent. However, in other fields of higher professional education, the rate is 80 per cent or more.

University students are less likely to do internships than students in higher professional education (hbo) or vocational education (mbo). Consequently, they are also less likely to receive an internship allowance. Only 12 per cent of bachelor’s students and just over 30 per cent of master’s students in university education receive one, a figure that has remained stable for years.

The level of education influences the size of internship allowances. Vocational students (mbo) receive the least, while university master’s students receive the most. According to the CPB, this partly reflects the fact that vocational students spend fewer days on internships – more work means more money.

The sector also plays a significant role. Technical fields offer by far the highest allowances, as labour shortages are most acute in these areas. Companies also use internships as a form of recruitment, the CPB notes.

In higher professional education, internship allowances have held their value better than in university education, with the average allowance remaining relatively unaffected by inflation, standing at around 300 euros.

The previous Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf, expressed frustration over unpaid internships in the education sector. “There is still work to be done”, he said. “Especially in a time of severe staffing shortages, when we are doing everything possible to address the teacher shortage, all teaching interns should be properly valued.”

The Dutch National Students’ Association (ISO) has long been calling attention to the issue of low or absent internship allowances. “Every student deserves an internship allowance”, said chair Mylou Miché. “The type of programme you study should not make a difference.”