{"id":124448,"date":"2021-03-18T15:08:15","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T14:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=124448"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:29","slug":"surprised-politicians-support-reduced-tuition-fees-for-first-year-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/03\/18\/surprised-politicians-support-reduced-tuition-fees-for-first-year-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprised politicians support reduced tuition fees for first-year students"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI explicitly asked during the debate,\u201d says VVD\u2019s Dennis Wiersma. \u201cBecause it should be perfectly clear and logical: everyone\u2019s tuition fees get halved, including first-year students\u2019. Then the Minister said that wasn\u2019t going to happen. But now she\u2019s changed her mind, anyway? I\u2019d say that\u2019s good news for students.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It is true that the Lower House\u2019s education spokespersons discussed the enormous education stimulus package (worth \u20ac8.5 billion) with the Minister for Education in late February. This package includes a reduction in tuition fees by half in the 2021-2022 academic year.<\/p>\n

Exception<\/h2>

\u201cWe\u2019ve made an exception for first-year students attending higher education institutions this time,\u201d Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven said at the time, \u201cbecause I\u2019m optimistic about next year. I think we\u2019ll have a nearly regular academic year by that time, with far fewer restrictions than this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

First-year students have not paid full tuition fees since 2017, anyway, having seen their tuition fees halved since 2018. Moreover, they have not been able yet to fall behind in their studies, while tuition fees have been halved precisely because students were falling behind in their studies. The Minister may have felt that halving tuition fees that had already been reduced by half was a bit much.<\/p>\n

But in the end, this is the option the Minister did opt for, without any warning. It will cost the government some \u20ac100 million, but it will be a pleasant surprise to anyone who is embarking on a degree next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lovely gesture,\u201d says D66\u2019s Jan Paternotte, an MP representing the Minister for Education\u2019s party. \u201cIt\u2019s also a nice gesture to all those secondary school students who had to sit their school-leaving exams during the pandemic, largely from home. I can understand why the Minister didn\u2019t support a halving of tuition fees that had already been halved, but it\u2019s going to work out very well for first-year students!\u201d<\/p>\n

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