{"id":104932,"date":"2019-10-25T16:26:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T14:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=104932"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:32","slug":"students-purchasing-power-continues-to-decline-freeze-the-tuition-fee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/10\/25\/students-purchasing-power-continues-to-decline-freeze-the-tuition-fee\/","title":{"rendered":"Students\u2019 purchasing power continues to decline: \u2018Freeze the tuition fee\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students\u2019 purchasing power will once again decline next year, predicts the Dutch National Student Association (Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg). ISO Chair Kees Gillesse sees it as a worrying trend and argues for a freeze on tuition fees.<\/p>\n

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When the government\u2019s new Annual Budget leaked in September, the conclusion was that just about everyone stands to benefit from the current growth. Apart from over 750,000 students in higher education that is. On average, hbo students (attending a university of applied sciences) can expect their purchasing power in 2020 to fall by 0.42 percent, while students at a university can expect a 0.91 percent decrease, according to ISO\u2019s calculations<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n

Disproportionate<\/h2>

The association mainly attributes this to the increase in the legal maximum for tuition fees and\u00a0rising<\/a><\/u>\u00a0room rents. Moreover, ISO writes that students have been \u2018disproportionately\u2019 affected by the decision to increase the lowest VAT rate from 6 to 9 percent. \u201cThe Cabinet has decided to raise the minimum sales tax and lower taxation on labour. However, this doesn\u2019t work out for students, since in many cases they don\u2019t \u2013 nor are they able to \u2013 work as much as others. This means they will hardly be compensated for the VAT hike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students at universities will see a stronger drop in their purchasing power than their colleagues at universities of applied sciences. That\u2019s because they move out more often \u2013 meaning they will bear the brunt of the higher room rents, in ISO\u2019s analysis. \u201cIn addition, hbo students tend to work more hours, so they benefit more from wage increases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Worrying<\/h2>

Gillesse calls for an end to this \u2018worrying trend\u2019. \u201cUltimately, it may restrict access to higher education for students whose parents are unable to chip in,\u201d\u00a0writes<\/a><\/u>\u00a0the ISO Chair in a statement.<\/p>\n

To counter this development, he argues that the government should at the very least freeze the maximum tuition fee for the time being. \u201cThis would provide some immediate relief \u2013 the very least they could do.\u201d In addition, Gillesse is amazed by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis\u2019s decision to leave out students when calculating citizens\u2019 expected purchasing power. \u201cThe government needs these figures to make solid policy decisions. This lack of insight into students\u2019 purchasing power is indefensible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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