DUO lacks funds to solve all problems with study finance

Complex regulations, insufficient information, and notable differences in the treatment of students on different levels: there are plenty of issues, but study finance agency DUO cannot resolve them all.

After the childcare benefits scandal, the House of Representatives wanted to know if there are more government agencies that deal with citizens in a ‘callous’ manner. The subsequent investigation revealed seven issues related to study finance.

Some of these have now been resolved, education minister Eppo Bruins informed the House of Representatives. He does so in the Status of Implementation from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Medically hopeless situations

Sometimes small interventions were required; for example on how DUO informs students. The agency aims to raise more awareness that borrowers with a low income can apply for the repayment relief scheme. Their repayments will then be lower.

It has also been made somewhat easier for former students in medically hopeless situations to have their student debt cancelled. Since then, DUO has indeed received more applications, the minister writes to the House.

Recently, a judge awarded compensation to a student in a medically hopeless situation who had to wait for years for DUO. The agency won’t appeal this ruling, a spokesperson confirmed.

Reluctant parents

For students who have broken contact with their parents, it is difficult to apply for an additional study grant. They must prove that they’re no longer in contact with their parents or that, for example, the parents are not paying them anything. Until recently, DUO also required a declaration from the parents themselves, which could lead to uncomfortable situations. The agency no longer requires this.

Mylou Miché, chair of the student organisation ISO and an expert in this area, is pleased that DUO is accommodating students in this regard. “It is very difficult to prove that you have no contact with a parent at all”, she explains. DUO also wants to adopt a more lenient approach towards students whose parents do not pay anything. Miché believes this could make a significant difference for students.

Miché has no contact with her father, but due to the heavy burden of proof, she ultimately decided not to apply for an additional grant, as she told the Higher Education Press Agency HOP in January. “The system is geared towards obstruction and distrust”, she stated.

Judges are also very strict towards students, legal expert Job Buiting said previously to  HOP. He saw a student who sought contact with her mother once and, even though it was unsuccessful, she did not receive an additional grant as a result. GroenLinks-PvDA raised parliamentary questions about this to minister Bruins, who promised to consider the ‘human aspect’ of the policy.

Not all issues resolved

The minister now writes that he wants to generally make it easier for students to navigate the regulations of DUO. They should receive assistance quicker and be informed better about their rights. However: “I also want to indicate frankly that we cannot resolve all issues at this time”, Bruins stated.

As such, for the time being, the 17,000 mbo students who quit their studies each year, are still required to request their tuition fees back themselves. This is in contrast to hbo and wo students who automatically receive their money back when they withdraw early. A solution would cost 25 million euros, which Bruins doesn’t have.

Distinction between hbo and wo

There is also no forthcoming solution for the ‘notable difference’ between hbo and wo students commencing a university master’s programme. After a bachelor’s degree at university, students also receive a basic grant for a master’s. The five to six thousand hbo students who start a university master’s each year do not receive this.

Is this unlawful discrimination? One judge believes it is, while another does not. The minister reported earlier this year that he is appealing this decision. Meanwhile, DUO has outlined various solutions, but they are either expensive, complicated, or both.

The minister does not clarify what will happen with these and other outstanding issues. They likely require political choices from the next cabinet.