Signing up for a Dutch course ‘feels like a race’, no more places available for now

Finding a place on the Dutch courses at the Language and Training Centre can sometimes feel like trying to get a ticket to a superstar’s concert. Around 1,500 students took part in 2025, and the courses are becoming increasingly popular. But there are no plans to increase the number of classes.

“I tried to sign up for level A1 in September”, says Erine Rysca Atmarini, an Indonesian psychology student. “I didn’t know there was so much competition. I hadn’t checked exactly what time registration opened, so I was too late and couldn’t get a place. I could only sign up for January, which was disappointing.”

Reduced rate

The course has become so popular partly because, since 2024, a special scheme has offered courses at A level at a heavily reduced rate to a maximum of 1,056 students a year. The Executive Board hopes that a good grounding in Dutch will persuade international students to stay in the Netherlands after their studies.

Thanks to the scheme, A-level courses cost just 50 euros or less. In return, students get ten lessons of 2.5 hours, followed by a final exam and a certificate. “We’ve noticed that demand is becoming enormous. We’re very pleased about that”, says Karin Brammer, programme manager for the Dutch courses.

Like a race

It is of course a great offer for students, but signing up can prove difficult. Erine’s second attempt to register – two years later – also failed. “I was ready at the right time on the right day, but I still couldn’t get in the sign up page. By the time I finally managed to log in, the course was full.”

She’s not the only one. It also took Maeve Lardé, a Management of International Social Challenges student, six months to secure a place on the beginners’ course. “It really feels like a race. There aren’t many places, and the difficult thing is that people who are working are also allowed to take the courses. I think they should reserve more places for students.”

Too enthusiastic

Besides increasing the popularity of the courses, the discounted scheme has another downside. Brammer says: “Students are very enthusiastic, perhaps sometimes a little too enthusiastic, because they think: that’s really cheap, I should just do it. But they also have to get started with their studies, which can take more time than they expect. Then they drop out after two or three lessons. We find that very disappointing.”

Romanian student Carina Ionita, who is studying for a master’s in Business Analytics & Management, had more luck than the others when trying to sign up. “It feels as if you’re trying to get concert tickets, but it’s just Dutch lessons. I knew the courses filled up quickly. You can sign up for the newsletter, so I did. They email you when registration opens. So I tried to sign up within 10 minutes. I managed to get into A1, but I had a class just as registration opened for A2.1, so I wasn’t quick enough and ended up on a waiting list. But someone dropped out, so I was still able to join.”

Starting later

There are currently 36 ongoing Dutch classes. Adding more groups does not seem feasible at the moment. “We’re getting close to our capacity”, says Brammer. The language centre usually hires its teachers on a freelance basis, which involves a lot of administration. “The permanent team in particular can’t take on much more. There’s also limited space on campus, especially since buildings have been closing more often in the evenings.”

A rule was introduced this year to prevent students from signing up and then dropping out. “If they attend fewer than eight of the ten lessons, they have to pay the higher regular rate after all. Of course, we do take personal circumstances into account. Fortunately, it rarely happens”, says Brammer.

“You can start later”, Brammer advises, “when you have a better idea of how busy you’ll be. The offer is available throughout your studies. It even still applies if you’re a PhD candidate.” She advises students not to insist on starting in September, but to consider starting later in the year. “There’s usually enough capacity then.”