{"id":122619,"date":"2021-02-09T08:59:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T07:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=122619"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:23","slug":"pre-investments-a-recipe-for-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/02\/09\/pre-investments-a-recipe-for-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-investments: a recipe for failure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When the basic grant was abolished, students were promised better education in return. There was just one small problem: the bursary millions were only released in small bits as of 2018. That\u2019s why research and applied sciences universities had to go ahead and invest 600 million euros from their own reserves in education. Why is it that students have hardly noticed this?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-1600x901.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-1600x901.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-300x169.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-875x493.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-1280x721.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-150x84.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM-225x127.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135517\/Headerillustratie-Voorinvesteringen-1-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\t<div data-name=\"acf\/featured-text\" class=\"md:mt-6 p-4 md:p-6 lg:p-8 bg-sand-300 theme-sand:bg-white theme-violet:bg-white theme-mocha:bg-white wysiwyg *:last:mb-0!\" >\n\t\t<p><strong>What you&#8217;ll be reading<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In this fourth part in a series of investigative stories, we find out why students have hardly noticed the results from pre-investments.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research and applied sciences universities promised to invest 600 million euros in better education, in anticipation of the release of the bursary millions.<\/li>\n<li>The money was there: before the basic grant was abolished, the academic institutions had bolstered their collective reserves with 700 million euros.<\/li>\n<li>The pre-investments were supposed to provide the first students who were no longer eligible for a study grant with better education, \u2018a delusion from politicians,\u2019 university administrators say.<\/li>\n<li>Agreements on pre-investments were kept vague on purpose.<\/li>\n<li>The annual reports from research and applied sciences universities scarcely provide any information about where the money from pre-investments came from and what it was spent on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a22450805&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a22450805\" class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-875x875.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-1280x1280.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-1600x1600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-150x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-100x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 100w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-600x600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-1000x1000.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1000w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM-225x225.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135647\/JasperBeen-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p><span>Jasper Been.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>There is a line of students queuing in front of the university library in the city center of Groningen. The line is quickly getting longer and winds its way from the Broerstraat towards the Oude Kijk in \u2018t Jatstraat. When the library was renovated in 2017, the number of study spaces was increased to 2,200. But it\u2019s fall 2020, and students are once again standing in line due to the corona measures. At a safe distance of one and a half meters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents were quite satisfied with that renovation\u201d, Jasper Been says, as we stand on the steps of the Academy building in Groningen, gazing at the library across the street. \u201cThe building dates from the eighties and had become outdated. And it had also deteriorated quite badly. In addition, there was a shortage of study places. Students had to fight for a spot every exam period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-purple\">\n\t\tThe RUG didn\u2019t appropriate one single euro for the first generation of loan system students, as shown by research by Been\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<p>No, the problem isn\u2019t with the building\u2019s facelift, but with the misleading information provided by the board of the <em>University of Groningen (RUG)<\/em> about the financing for the renovation<em>, <\/em>Been says. This was demonstrated by the<em> Democratische Academie Groningen<\/em> (DAG), the student movement founded by Been and a number of like-minded people back in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>The university claims that it set aside an additional sum of 13 million euros to increase the number of study places in the library, to compensate students who were no longer eligible for the basic grant as of 2015. However, research carried out by Been together with his DAG colleagues Bram Omvlee and Hidde Luchtenbelt, has shown that the RUG didn\u2019t appropriate one single euro for the first generation of loan system students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Since 2015, students who can\u2019t rely on a financial contribution from their parents to cover their study expenses, are forced to accumulate large debts.<\/strong> But they will have education of a higher quality than their predecessors who were still entitled to a basic grant were provided with. This was the promise made by minister of education Jet Bussemaker (PvdA) back in 2015 in her Strategic Agenda <em>The value of knowledge<\/em>. The hundreds of millions that the abolition of the basic student grant would generate each year was to be used in full to improve education.<\/p>\n<p>The money allows research and applied sciences universities to recruit four thousand extra teachers, tutors and coaches. That will lead to more intensive and smaller scale learning: fewer lectures for large groups, more instruction lessons, more individual feedback and personal supervision. The introduction of the loan system is not a blunt spending cut, but a targeted quality impulse.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Large reserves<\/h2><p><em>There is just one small problem:<\/em> the bursary millions only became available in small bits as of 2018. This means that the first generation of loan system students would not benefit from the quality impulse. That is why research and applied sciences universities agreed with the minister to invest \u20ac600 million from their own reserves in education between 2015 and 2017. The money was there: in 2012, 2013 and 2014, the research and applied sciences universities had accumulated a total sum of \u20ac700 million in reserves.<\/p>\n<p>600 million euros extra sounds like a lot of money, but in reality it\u2019s only 280 euros per student annually, just a fraction of the amount loan system students miss out on. In 2015, students who still lived with their parents received a basic grant of 1.233,24 euros; students living away from home received 3.433,80 euros. But the first generation of loan system students would benefit from visible improvements in education, despite the modest sum of the pre-investments, the minister promised.<\/p>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-purple\">\n\t\t\u2018The minister simply demanded from us that we would prefinance the promises she had made to students\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"flex mt-6 image:rounded-full image:max-w-[4.375rem] gap-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"mt-[1px]\">&ndash;<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block text-lg font-tiempos-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPaul R\u00fcpp, Avans Hogeschool\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a22452a44&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a22452a44\" class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-1280x853.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-1600x1066.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-150x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM-225x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135454\/Foto-Paul-Ru\u0308pp-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p><span>Paul Ru\u0308pp.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>\u201cA delusion from politicians\u201d<\/strong>, Paul R\u00fcpp angrily says five years later. The board president of Avans University of Applied Sciences expresses a widely held opinion among administrators at research and applied sciences universities. The promise to free up 600 million euros was necessary to convince the House of Representatives, and to secure the millions of euros from the basic grant for higher education. \u201cThe minister simply demanded from us that we would prefinance the promises she had made to students\u201d, R\u00fcpp says.<\/p>\n<p>The board president still vividly remembers the mood among politicians. \u201cThe abolition of the basic grant was a painful issue in the House of Representatives, because oh my god, those students will go out and cast their votes in the upcoming election. We need to compensate them one way or another.\u201d That is why the pre-investments had to \u201cyield results the next day already, so that students who were no longer eligible for a basic grant would immediately see the quality of education improve\u201d, R\u00fcpp continues. \u201cImpossible to implement in practice, because you can\u2019t improve education overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Minister Bussemaker\u2019s promise that the millions from the basic grant would also allow research and applied sciences universities to recruit four thousand extra teachers, didn\u2019t go down well with administrators at all. \u201cIt\u2019s not that easy to recruit new teachers, you need a plan first, you need to know how and where you want to use them. Setting up a plan like that takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No firm commitments<\/h2>\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-purple\">\n\t\tThe associations of research and applied sciences universities tried to control the damage by formulating the promises about pre-investments in the vaguest possible terms\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<p>The associations of research and applied sciences universities tried to control the damage by formulating the promises about pre-investments in the vaguest possible terms. What they wanted to prevent in any event, was the making of firm commitments about the recruitment of extra teachers or more contact hours to which individual institutions could be held accountable.<\/p>\n<p>The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) spoke of investing in \u2018higher-quality, more intensive education and facilities that are in line with a higher education that is internationally competitive.\u2019 The Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) promised \u2018more supervision and improved monitoring, more teachers and an optimal infrastructure.\u2019 The money should come from the reserves from the universities of applied sciences, the VH said; the VSNU believed that the universities could also free up money by making \u2018rearrangements within their budgets.\u2019<\/p>\n<iframe class=\"localfocusvisual\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;height:550px;overflow:hidden\" src=\"https:\/\/localfocuswidgets.net\/601d488d5b648\"><\/iframe>\t<div data-name=\"acf\/featured-text\" class=\"md:mt-6 p-4 md:p-6 lg:p-8 bg-sand-300 theme-sand:bg-white theme-violet:bg-white theme-mocha:bg-white wysiwyg *:last:mb-0!\" >\n\t\t<p><strong>About this research<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In this research, we\u2019ve identified the pre-investments at thirteen research universities and twelve universities of applied sciences: the twelve research universities affiliated with the VSNU with the exception of the Open University, and the twelve largest applied sciences universities of 2014. We thoroughly went through the annual reports covering the years 2015 up to and including 2019 from these 25 institutions. In addition, we consulted the Quality plans, when approved and publicly available. We requested the data about the number of registered students and the number of teachers from the VSNU and the VH. The financial data comes from DUO. Since the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences doesn\u2019t provide information about pre-investments at individual institutions, unlike the Association of Research Universities, we asked the twelve applied sciences universities to grant us access to the specification they shared with both the VH and the Netherlands Court of Audit. None of the applied sciences universities granted this information request, but three institutions were however willing to provide us with a verbal explanation.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<p><strong>The University of Groningen claims<\/strong> to have freed up a total sum of 18 million euros for pre-investments, which amounts to 207 euros per student annually. 5 million euros were intended for the development of new Master\u2019s tracks, which had originally been budgeted at 30 million euros. Thanks to the pre-investments, the budget was raised to 35 million euros, the university board claimed.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the money supposedly went to the renovation of the university library. Not the kind of investment that immediately comes to mind when you think about the improvement of education. But the quality of the learning environment has an effect on learning results, and that is why research and applied sciences universities counted \u2018modernizing the infrastructure\u2019 among the ways to improve education.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Old wine in new bottles<\/h2><p>Jasper Been represented DAG in the university council in the academic year 2017\/2018, and therefore had access to all policy documents about pre-investments. He ploughed through all documents from the period 2014\/15 and discovered that the RUG had set aside 35 million euros for the development of new Master\u2019s tracks in March 2014 already. Months before national agreements about pre-investments were made. The renovation plan for the university library \u2013 including the 2,200 study places \u2013 was even drawn up in January 2014.<\/p>\n<p>The RUG apparently presented old plans as new pre-investments, the DAG researchers concluded in their web publication <a href=\"https:\/\/democratischeacademie.com\/nl\/onderzoekvoorinvesteringen\/\"><em>Hoe de RUG haar beloftes brak en jij geen beter onderwijs kreeg<\/em> <\/a>(\u2018How the RUG broke its promises and you didn\u2019t get better education\u2019). The RUG failed to do anything extra for the first generation of loan system students.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">With the minister\u2019s approval<\/h2><p>Jasper Been decided to confront the executive board with these findings during the university council meeting of March 2018. \u201cAnd we were allowed to! We had the minister\u2019s approval\u201d, executive board president Sibrand Poppema said. According to him, minister Bussemaker said during a verbal consultation with the Association of Research Universities, of which Poppema was vice-president, that previously made expenditure plans could also be regarded as pre-investments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re also allowed to include the things that you already do to improve the quality of education. You can count buildings, you can count anything and everything\u201d, the minister supposedly said. \u201cI remember very well that we were in the meeting and said: well, if that\u2019s how things stand, we have no problems agreeing to those pre-investments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-purple\">\n\t\tDuring a verbal consultation with the Association of Research Universities, of which Poppema was vice-president, minister Bussemaker said that previously made expenditure plans could also be regarded as pre-investments.\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<p>Other universities applied similar broad definitions of pre-investments. In 2015, the University of Twente listed 1.3 million euros in expenses for its new Designlab as a pre-investment, even though that laboratory had already officially been opened by minister Bussemaker in the previous year. Wageningen spent 5 million euros \u2013 at the request of students \u2013 on a sports hall that also functions as an exam hall. And VU Amsterdam claims that the 27 million euros it spent on the new building for its science departments is in fact a pre-investment, even though that building didn\u2019t open its doors until February of last year. By that time, the first loan system students had already obtained their Bachelor\u2019s diploma.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Even though the research and applied sciences universities weren\u2019t exactly strapped for cash<\/strong>, they refused to put down in writing any promises about the level of pre-investments at individual institutions. They were once again guided by the fear of being held accountable. But minister Bussemaker was worried about the large reserves. Institutions in higher education had been hoarding their money and saw their capital grow from 1.1 to 1.7 billion euros in the period between 2009 and 2014. In university education, capital grew from 2.8 to 3.4 billion euros. Bussemaker was afraid that political support for pumping back the millions from the basic grant into higher education would dissipate if the hoarding didn\u2019t stop. During closed meetings with administrators and supervisors, she urged them to stop setting aside money for prestigious construction projects and to spend it on education instead. Use the accumulated reserves as pre-investments, was her message.<\/p>\n<p>At first sight, it appears that the thirteen research universities and twelve major universities of applied sciences we investigated listened to the minister\u2019s appeal. Their annual reports show that the 25 institutions under investigation collectively earmarked 642 million euros for pre-investments. On average, they appropriated 343 euros per student, almost 60 euros more than promised.<\/p>\n<iframe class=\"localfocusvisual\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;height:550px;overflow:hidden\" src=\"https:\/\/localfocuswidgets.net\/601d4df5707ed\"><\/iframe><p>The variation in pre-investments sums, however, is inexplicably large. The VU was by far the most generous institution with 1,132 euros per student, whereas students at the UvA came off worst with 109 euros. Avans leads the universities of applied sciences with 850 euros per student, and HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem and Nijmegen finishes last with 85 euros per student.<\/p>\n<p>These significant differences have nothing to do with the level of reserves. Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has been at the bottom of the ranking when it comes to equity position for several decades, but it nevertheless claims to have freed up 78.7 million euros as pre-investments, which amounts to 570 euro per student annually.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deep pockets, small investments<\/h2><p>Even though the University of Groningen had the best equity position and the deepest pockets by the end of 2014 \u2013 the RUG had a total of 73 million euros left in the period between 2012 and 2014 \u2013 its executive board decided to earmark, as said earlier, only 18 million euros for the improvement of education for loan system students, 207 euros per student annually.<\/p>\n<p>Practically none of the research and applied sciences universities \u2013 with a few exceptions \u2013 explain in their annual reports how they arrived at those pre-investment sums. The millions appear to have been chosen at random, and they also change over the years. In 2015, the University of Amsterdam, for example, claims that there is no money for pre-investments. Priority lies with keeping staff employed at the shrinking humanities department. A year later, however, the records suddenly show a pre-investment of 4.4 million euros that was supposedly spent in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>The word pre-investment doesn\u2019t even appear in the annual reports of the HAN. After extensive research, it became clear the applied sciences university used 8.6 million euros from pre-investments money to pay for Student Performance Coaching.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Netherlands Court of Audit, which investigated whether the research and applied sciences universities delivered on their promises,<\/strong> reached the conclusion in 2018 that it is unlikely that the institutions invested the extra 600 million euros as promised. Only one third of the 860 million euros presented by the research and applied sciences universities to the Court of Audit as pre-investment, was spent according to the original intentions, the researchers said. A sum of 280 million euros was recognized by researchers as actual expenditure on students who started their studies without a basic grant in the period from 2015 to 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty percent of the presented pre-investments did not meet this requirement according the Court of Audit, and for the remaining 330 million euros it cannot be properly determined where the money came from and what it was spent on.<\/p>\n<p>Research and applied sciences universities responded furiously. The Court of Audit was said to have used its own definition that didn\u2019t correspond with the agreements made with the minister, and had therefore wrongfully rejected many pre-investments. It can\u2019t be determined whether the Court of Audit researchers did indeed go about their work unreasonably, since the sub-reports about the individual institutions remain confidential until this very day, and because members of co-determination bodies who were allowed access to these reports are bound to confidentiality obligations.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Growing reserves<\/h2><p>Our research shows that it is in any event unlikely that research universities drew from their reserves to make pre-investments. Collectively, they had 303 million euros to spare from 2015 until 2017. The reserves didn\u2019t shrink, but grew.<\/p>\n<p>Universities of applied sciences, on the other hand, took minister Bussemaker\u2019s encouragements to draw from their reserves to improve the quality of education more seriously. In the fall of 2014, after they came to realize that they would once again have several tens of millions left unused by the end of the fiscal year, a number of large universities of applied sciences announced that they intend to use their hoarded millions to appoint hundreds of extra teachers.<\/p>\n<p>The results prove it. The twelve universities of applied sciences we investigated seriously went into the red from 2015 until 2017.\u00a0 In 2016, all twelve of them closed the fiscal year with a deficit. Collectively, the ate into their reserves for a total sum of 84 million euros over a three-year period.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the universities of applied sciences drew from their reserves had already been confirmed by the Court of Audit. To find out why students scarcely noticed that financial injection, we need to take a look behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a2245445e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a2245445e\" class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-300x225.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-300x225.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-875x656.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-1280x960.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-1600x1200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-150x113.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM-225x169.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135613\/The_Hague_University_of_Applied_Sciences_20-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p><span>The Hague University of Applied Sciences.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Take The Hague University of Applied Sciences for example.<\/strong> In 2016, chair of the executive board Leonard Geluk announces, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ad.nl\/den-haag\/haagse-hogeschool-40-miljoen-voor-extra-leraren~a8a4910e\/\">in an interview with newspaper <em>AD\/Haagsche Courant<\/em><\/a>, that his institution intends to invest 40 million euros in the recruitment of hundreds of new teachers over the next four years. The university of applied sciences draws from its reserves for that: a \u20ac6 million deficit is budgeted for 2016. It results in compliments from minister Bussemaker. The Hague University of Applied Sciences sets the right example, she said: invest in teachers instead of in student number growth.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the new teachers, education becomes more small-scale, and students receive more attention, Geluk tells the AD reporters. That\u2019s sorely needed in order to increase the dramatically low success rate. On average, only 45 percent of students at The Hague University of Applied Sciences obtains a degree after five years. That number is even lower among students from migrant backgrounds: 40 percent. Internally, the financial injection is mostly sold as a means to reduce work pressure for teachers.<\/p>\n<div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a22454f24&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a22454f24\" class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-875x875.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-1280x1280.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-1600x1600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-150x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-100x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 100w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-600x600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-1000x1000.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1000w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM-225x225.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135717\/MathieuHemelaar-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p><span>Mathieu Hemelaar.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>One year later however, the quality &amp; work pressure policy \u2013 as the pre-investments are referred to at The Hague University of Applied Sciences \u2013 suffers a serious blow after it becomes apparent that the 2016 deficit turns out to be 11.3 million euros instead of 6 million. That is why the executive board decides, just before the start of the summer holidays, not to extend all 350 temporary contracts for the time being. \u201cAs a result, recently recruited new teachers suddenly had to leave again\u201d, says Mathieu Heemelaar, who was chair of the University council at the time. But the financial problems weren\u2019t caused by the pre-investments. \u201cThe institution was financially out of control, all departments seriously went over budget\u201d, Heemelaar sums up the situation in 2017.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Larger classes, fewer contact hours, more work pressure<\/h2><div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a22455997&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a22455997\" class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-257x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-257x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 257w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-749x875.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 749w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-1095x1280.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1095w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-1369x1600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1369w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-128x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 128w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM-225x263.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/05135426\/ArendNoordam-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139235 1711w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p><span>Arend Noordam.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>In the end, all efforts to intensify education and to lower work pressure came to nothing, Heemelaar\u2019s successor Arend Noordam says in 2019 in an evaluation of the quality &amp; work pressure policy. \u201cStudents in co-determination bodies indicate that classes are getting larger instead of smaller, and that the number of contact hours has decreased\u201d, the council president writes in the report. Work pressure continued to increase in 2018, the employee satisfaction survey shows, and students noticed that. \u201cTeachers sometimes don\u2019t have enough time to give feedback, or to grade tests on time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That isn\u2019t too strange, Heemelaar says. \u201cThat sum of 40 million euros was invested, but the money was passed on to the departments without being earmarked, where it was spent on other things.\u201d \u201cWe wanted concrete plans to improve student supervision and to reduce group size, but the executive board felt that the departments knew best how to use the means\u201d, Noordam says. \u201cThat led to serious confrontations with the executive board. We rejected budgets. It resulted in years of fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/quote\" class=\"align\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<figure data-component=\"quote-with-author\" class=\"@container\">\n\t<blockquote class=\"text-md italic @2xl:text-xl @4xl:text-2xl text-purple\">\n\t\t\u2018Those hundred teachers never materialized, the personnel numbers prove it. That promise wasn\u2019t delivered on.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cThe department directors simply wanted a bigger budget to plug the shortfalls\u201d,<\/strong> Heemelaar says. \u201cThose hundred teachers never materialized, the personnel numbers prove it. That promise wasn\u2019t delivered on. What it basically comes down to is that the departments got a few million euros extra, which I\u2019m sure were used sensibly. But how the money was spent exactly can no longer be determined. And the Court of Audit came to the same conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The annual reports indeed only show the \u2018extra financial means made available to the departments to lift the quality of education to a higher level and to reduce work pressure:\u2019 5 million euros in 2015, 10 million in 2016 and 11 million in 2017. No information is provided about how the money was spent. \u201cSad\u201d, Heemelaar says. \u201cWe urged for earmarks, because otherwise you can\u2019t demonstrate the validity of your choices. You also need to be able to explain to students what the money from the basic grant is used for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When we asked for the statements that were submitted to the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and the Court of Audit so that we could gain more insight into the matter, The Hague University of Applied Sciences replied that it was pre-agreed that the VH only reports about pre-investments on a national level, and that the institutional reports from the Court of Audit are confidential. We will have to make do with the publicly available annual reports, which do not provide students at The Hague University of Applied Sciences with any information about what happened to the money from the basic grant.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Avans University of Applied Sciences didn\u2019t go along with the trend to draw from reserves<\/strong> to appoint extra teachers, even though the institution was in a healthy financial position in 2014. The Brabant applied sciences university had more than one hundred million euros to spend in the period from 2009 to 2014.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2015, after it becomes clear that the institution had a new record amount of 27 million euros (11 percent of the total revenue) left over in 2014, the central representative council decided that it was enough. The council wants the board to rapidly invest more money in education. Students want more personal contact with teachers and ask for an increase in the number of contact hours. Teachers find the work pressure too high and consider the option of \u2018more help during classes.\u2019 But the executive board is not prepared to \u2018simply appoint extra teachers\u2019 because it believes that this doesn\u2019t automatically lead to better education. First, there needs to be a well-argued plan, about which the representative body naturally has a say.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 percent rule<\/h2><div data-component=core\/image><figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69e7a22456965&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69e7a22456965\" class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-300x300.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-875x875.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-150x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-100x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 100w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-600x600.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein-225x225.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 225w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/01\/29103206\/16056_1611843305092_SvdJ-klein.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><\/div><p>At the end of 2015, the executive board and the council reached an agreement. Teachers will be allowed to spend 5 percent of their scheduled hours (80 hours a year, or two hours a week), at their own discretion, on extra contact hours with their students. That\u2019s not without obligations though, teacher activities need to be accounted for. With the measure, which costs between 5 and 6 million euros, <em>Avans <\/em>will be able to recruit sixty to seventy percent extra teachers.<\/p>\n<p>The 5 percent rule is just one of several measures taken by Avans in the context of pre-investments. The institution also raised the amount it allocates to the academies per student so that they have greater financial freedom to renew their curricula, and it invested substantially in professionalization of teachers. At the same time, Avans spent millions of euros on the renovation of a teaching facility in Den Bosch and on the development of new, two-year programs.<\/p>\n<p>In total, Avans freed up 74.4 million euros for pre-investments. What the money was spent on can be easily determined. Because even though the academies at Avans have much financial freedom, they nevertheless need to be able to prove that the money was spent on goals that were agreed upon beforehand. This is checked by the accountant.<\/p>\n<p>Avans responded positively to our request for clarity on the information about the pre-investments that the <em>Association<\/em> of Universities of Applied Sciences and the Court of Audit were provided with, but only wanted to give us a verbal explanation. Only during a second meeting did Paul R\u00fcpp admit that the Court of Audit designated just 20 percent of the 74.4 million euros declared by Avans as actual pre-investments, and 15 percent as possible pre-investments.<\/p>\n<p>R\u00fcpp profoundly disagrees with that. \u201cWe spent a substantial amount on the launch of two Associate Degree academies, where we offer two-year programs. We had already planned to do so, but we accelerated it with the money from the pre-investments. The Court of Audit didn\u2019t accept that.\u201d That\u2019s because students who started their studies in 2015 without a basic grant will not benefit from those investments, he admits. But that\u2019s a \u201cnonsensical criterion\u201d, R\u00fcpp believes, \u201cbecause there a hardly any investments in education that deliver results immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But even if you leave the eighty percent of expenses that were rejected by the Court of Audit out of consideration, Avans still spent more money than its share of the 600 million euros that the institutions of higher education agreed to invest, R\u00fcpp concludes with satisfaction. According to his own definition, Avans spent several millions more. \u201cOn top of the bursary millions that are being released since 2018, we add our own money, so that the total prefinancing ends up being almost double what we promised in 2014.\u201d<\/p>\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/featured-text\" class=\"md:mt-6 p-4 md:p-6 lg:p-8 bg-sand-300 theme-sand:bg-white theme-violet:bg-white theme-mocha:bg-white wysiwyg *:last:mb-0!\" >\n\t\t<p><em>With the participation of Altan Erdogan, Laura ter Steege and Henk Strikkers.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This is the fourth part in a series of research stories about\u00a0the pre-investments and the abolishment of the basic student grant, made possible by the Dutch Journalism Fund and various editorial boards at universities in the Netherlands.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We will publish our next article, \u2018How the bursary millions evaporated due to the increase in student numbers,\u2019 on our website next Friday, February the 12th. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/posts-list\" >\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6 md:space-y-8\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"text-lg md:text-xl\">Read the previous part in this series<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid items-strecth grid-cols-1 gap-2 md:gap-4 lg:gap-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand  relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 2000w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-300x169.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-875x493.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-1280x721.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-1600x901.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-150x84.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/04095126\/Openingbasisbeurs-EM-225x127.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139234 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/02\/04\/this-is-how-your-basic-grant-died\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tThis is how your basic grant died\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2021-02-04\">4 February 2021<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tResearch\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/persons\" class=\"mt-6 md:mt-8 lg:mt-10\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"sr-only\">De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4 md:gap-8 md:items-center\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"teaser-person\" class=\"relative flex gap-4 items-center md:gap-8\">\n\n\t\n\t<div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/persons\/yvonne-van-de-meent\/\" class=\"absolute-link font-tiempos-headline underline hocus:no-underline decoration-1 underline-offset-2 text-lg text-current\">Yvonne van de Meent<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/posts\" class=\"alignfull py-6 md:py-8 lg:py-10 bg-white\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"container-fixed\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6 md:space-y-8\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"text-xl md:text-2xl\">Latest news<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"post-grid\" class=\"grid items-stretch grid-cols-1 gap-2 md:gap-4 lg:gap-8 text-zoom-lg:grid-cols-1\n\t\t\n\t\tlg:grid-cols-3\n\t\t\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post\" class=\"block-theme-sand hidden lg:flex h-full relative flex bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\tflex-col @xl:flex-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative image:w-full image:aspect-video image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-500x282.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 500w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-832x468.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 832w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/21\/universiteit-neemt-maatregelen-na-rapport-antisemitismebestrijding\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tUniversity takes measures after report on combating antisemitism\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-21\">21 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tSafety\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-460x460.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-460x460.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 460w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-115x115.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 115w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/schoonspuiten-cleaning-graffiti-tentenkamp-encampment-gaza-protest_van-der-goot_eur_5_19.5.25_esther-dijkstra-230x230.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1776775960 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/21\/universiteit-neemt-maatregelen-na-rapport-antisemitismebestrijding\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tUniversity takes measures after report on combating antisemitism\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-21\">21 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tSafety\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post\" class=\"block-theme-sand hidden lg:flex h-full relative flex bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\tflex-col @xl:flex-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative image:w-full image:aspect-video image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-150x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-225x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/21\/gemeenten-moeten-verkamering-makkelijker-maken-vindt-lsvb\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tMunicipalities should make house-sharing easier, says LSVb\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-21\">21 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHousing\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-150x100.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/11\/13133514\/student-room-kamer-huisvesting-buiten-deur-fietsen_nov2025_breadie_nhat-minh-bui-225x150.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139443 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/21\/gemeenten-moeten-verkamering-makkelijker-maken-vindt-lsvb\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tMunicipalities should make house-sharing easier, says LSVb\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-21\">21 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHousing\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post\" class=\"block-theme-sand hidden lg:flex h-full relative flex bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\tflex-col @xl:flex-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative image:w-full image:aspect-video image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1018\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-scaled.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-scaled.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-875x618.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1600x1131.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-300x212.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1280x905.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1536x1086.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-2048x1448.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-150x106.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-225x159.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/20\/kabinet-wil-meer-tijdelijke-huurcontracten-voor-studenten\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tCabinet wants more temporary rental contracts for students\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-20\">20 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHousing\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-sand lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-scaled.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-scaled.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-875x618.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1600x1131.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-300x212.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1280x905.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-1536x1086.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-2048x1448.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-150x106.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 150w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/05\/23145741\/Studentenhuisvesting-huur-tekort-studentenwoningen-renting-studentenhuis-woningnood-Stock-illustratie-Migle-Alonderyte-225x159.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1766139286 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/20\/kabinet-wil-meer-tijdelijke-huurcontracten-voor-studenten\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tCabinet wants more temporary rental contracts for students\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-20\">20 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHousing\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text-right text-brown-600\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n<a\n\tdata-variant=\"outline\"\n\tdata-size=\"default\"\n\tclass=\"group inline-flex justify-center items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer text-md font-soehne underline-offset-2 decoration-2 px-4 min-h-[3.75rem] border-2 border-current bg-transparent text-current font-bold hocus:underline w-full lg:w-auto\"\n\n\t\n\t\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span data-button-text class=\"\">\n\t\t\tAll articles\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\" flex items-center justify-center w-[1em] h-[1em] icon  \" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"20\" height=\"17\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 17\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M18.25 7.5C18.8023 7.5 19.25 7.94772 19.25 8.5C19.25 9.05228 18.8023 9.5 18.25 9.5H1.75C1.19772 9.5 0.75 9.05228 0.75 8.5C0.75 7.94772 1.19772 7.5 1.75 7.5H18.25Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<path d=\"M10.793 1.04295C11.1835 0.65243 11.8165 0.65243 12.207 1.04295L18.957 7.79295C19.3476 8.18348 19.3476 8.81649 18.957 9.20702L12.207 15.957C11.8165 16.3475 11.1835 16.3475 10.793 15.957C10.4024 15.5665 10.4024 14.9335 10.793 14.543L16.8359 8.49999L10.793 2.45702C10.4024 2.06649 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There was just one small problem: the bursary millions were only released in small bits as of 2018. That\u2019s why research and applied sciences universities had to go ahead and invest 600 million euros from their own reserves in education. Why is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":122586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"em_content_type":[],"class_list":["post-122619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pre-investments: a recipe for failure<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Due to pre-investments, the first students without basic grant should&#039;ve gotten better education from the get-go. &#039;A delusion from politicians&#039; according to board members.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/02\/09\/pre-investments-a-recipe-for-failure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pre-investments: a recipe for failure\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Due to pre-investments, the first students without basic grant should&#039;ve gotten better education from the get-go. &#039;A delusion from politicians&#039; 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