HBO graduate loses court case over basic grant for research university master’s

Students from universities of applied sciences (HBO) still have no right to a basic grant if they progress to a research university master’s programme. Once again, a university of applied sciences graduate has lost a court case on this issue. Politicians haven’t changed the rules yet.

It remains odd: after a bachelor’s at a university of applied sciences, you do receive a basic grant for a master’s at a university of applied sciences, but not for a master’s at a research university. Students consider that unfair.

Conversely, research university bachelor’s students receive an extra year of basic grant if they choose a master’s at a university of applied sciences. It is a consequence of how the student finance rules are structured.

Almost three years ago, the consumer programme Radar highlighted the issue. Then minister Robbert Dijkgraaf couldn’t explain why the system worked this way, but did nothing about it: the cabinet had already fallen at the time. His successor, Eppo Bruins, made significant cuts and had no funds for a change.

Prohibited distinction?

Could this be a case of prohibited distinction between university of applied sciences bachelor’s and research university bachelor’s graduates? For a moment, the court seemed to agree, but on appeal a student still lost her case. These are simply the rules, the Central Appeals Tribunal ruled, and it is up to politicians to change them.

A new court ruling confirms this line. Once again, a graduate of a university of applied sciences has lost a case about the basic grant (and supplementary grant) for a research university master’s.

Earlier this year, a large majority in the House of Representatives indicated it wants to change the system. The new minister of Education, Rianne Letschert, will discuss the matter with the House of Representatives.

Costs

The question seems to be: how much can it cost? The minister has more expensive plans. The basic grant for students living away from home will increase by 50 euros and interest on student debt will be capped. This will cost around 150 million euros per year.

Last September, 5,700 students with a university of applied sciences background started a research university master’s. That is 10 per cent of all new master’s students at research universities. Another 1,200 graduates of universities of applied sciences start later in the year, for example in February.

In 2023, the ministry estimated that the adjustment would cost 60 million euros per year for the basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product. The current cabinet also plans to increase the basic grant for students living away from home, which would make it even more expensive.

Strong performance

A quarter of research university master’s programmes are not accessible to graduates of universities of applied sciences at all, not even after a bridging programme in which they update their knowledge and skills. Programmes fear that these students could jeopardise quality and completion rates, they told the Education Inspectorate.

It is difficult to judge quality, but concerns about completion rates (how many students obtain their degree) seem unjustified. Graduates of universities of applied sciences perform well in research university master’s programmes. They often graduate faster than fellow students who come from a research university bachelor’s.