{"id":161532,"date":"2023-11-21T14:43:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=161532"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:03","slug":"what-political-parties-promise-for-students-and-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/11\/21\/what-political-parties-promise-for-students-and-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"What political parties promise for students and higher education"},"content":{"rendered":"

What plans do political parties have for students and universities? How do they intend to compensate the \u2018unlucky generation\u2019, handle international students or bolster scientific endeavours? EM has got you covered. Notably, almost all parties aim for fewer international students, increased use of Dutch in education and financial support for (unlucky) students.<\/p>

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Election posters at the Kralingse Plaslaan.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEsther Dijkstra<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Basic grant, tuition fees & student debt<\/h2>

With regards to the basic grant<\/strong>, let\u2019s keep it short: everyone wants to keep it. Even the VVD party is in favour now.<\/p>\n

SP advocates for increasing the basic grant, as do Volt, Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals), D66 and GroenLinks-PvdA. They propose, for instance, making the temporary increase to compensate for inflation a permanent fixture, with GroenLinks-PvdA suggesting the basic grant increase annually in line with inflation.<\/p>\n

For studies leading to professions in high demand, VVD proposes reducing tuition fees<\/strong>. They also want to make pursuing a second degree more affordable. D66 argues that everyone should be able to pursue a second degree at the statutory, low tuition fee. Volt goes further, proposing to completely abolish tuition fees for studies leading to crucial professions. And Partij voor de Dieren thinks all tuition fees should be lowered.<\/p>\n

Volt advocates for an interest rate cap of 2.5 per cent on student loans<\/strong>. GroenLinks-PvdA also supports capping the interest rate. BBB and Partij voor de Dieren propose eliminating interest altogether. D66 and NSC aim to limit interest for unlucky students. CDA would offer discounts to those students who repay quickly and make it appealing for employers to assist in repayment.<\/p>\n

SP and Partij voor de Dieren intend to \u2018generously\u2019 compensate<\/strong> students who fell under the loan system. Volt is pushing for compensation \u2018averaging 10,000 euros per student\u2019.<\/p>\n

GroenLinks-PvdA wants student debts to have less impact on mortgage applications<\/strong>. Additionally, the party proposes that current students who fell under the loan system should be eligible for the basic grant, even if they have already studied for four years.<\/p>\n

BBB believes student debt should not be considered at all in a mortgage application. According to CDA, only the current status of the student debt should be taken into account.<\/p>\n

Housing shortage<\/h2>

VVD wants to repurpose vacant office buildings into student housing<\/strong>. Partij voor de Dieren also supports this and suggests using flexible housing.<\/p>\n

GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 propose building more<\/strong> to address the housing shortage. According to D66, at least a quarter of student houses should have shared facilities. The liberals believe that educational institutions that want to grow should be responsible for the housing of the increased number of students coming to their city.<\/p>\n

BBB wants to ease rules for room rental<\/strong> (without specifying how) and advocates for allowing housing allowances for student housing more frequently to make room rental and new student housing more attractive.<\/p>\n

NSC proposes making it easier to split houses, creating more space for students or newcomers. The party also aims to counter abuse of the point system and encourages rental of rooms in someone\u2019s home, similar to Volt.<\/p>\n

Student wellbeing & binding study advice<\/h2>

GroenLinks-PvdA wants to abolish the binding study advice<\/strong> (as does Partij voor de Dieren) and considers reducing performance pressure a \u2018top priority\u2019. The left-wing coalition party also advocates for more funding for students facing delays due to a disability or board work. Additionally, a fund for first-generation students will be established to bridge class differences.<\/p>\n

Performance pressure<\/strong> and well-being also receive significant attention in D66\u2019s programme. The party wants to ease the binding study advice and invest in student counsellors and confidential counsellors. D66 also aims to eliminate the firm \u2018Bachelor-before-Master\u2019 rule.<\/strong> Moreover, the party would allocate funds for student organisations to work on the mental well-being of their members.<\/p>\n

Volt is in favour of a \u2018non-binding study advice\u2019, allowing students themselves to decide whether to continue their programme at the end of their first year. CDA wants to retain the binding study advice in its current form.<\/p>\n

Partij voor de Dieren also pays a lot of attention to student well-being and advocates, among other things, for an annual measurement of student wellbeing<\/strong>, better access to study advisors, student counsellors, confidential counsellors, psychologists and other support staff.<\/p>\n\n\t

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