{"id":6784,"date":"2015-09-16T13:45:03","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T11:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/2015\/09\/16\/hoger-onderwijs-verliest-geduld-met-rijksbegroting-2\/?lang=en"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:22","slug":"hoger-onderwijs-verliest-geduld-met-rijksbegroting-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2015\/09\/16\/hoger-onderwijs-verliest-geduld-met-rijksbegroting-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Higher education loses patience with government budget"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMinister-president Rutte<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The universities feel that the cabinet should start investing more in higher education now. Student organisations are not prepared to wait until the new loan system eventually starts generating money.<\/p>\n

The education budget for 2016 is the calm before the storm: nothing much is changing now, but the new loan system will ensure that millions are released in a few years\u2019 time. It will obviously take time before the students start repaying their loans. But Thom de Graaf, president of the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, wants Minister Bussemaker to use that money sooner. Now that the economy is showing signs of recovery, he feels the time is right. \u201cEarlier investments in higher professional education will be recuperated sooner in the promotion of the knowledge economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Symbolic wish list<\/h3>

The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) is also calling on the Minister to \u2018speed up and increase essential investments\u2019. President Karl Dittrich has also pointed out that no extra money is being made available for the National Science Agenda, which is due to be presented soon. \u201cWithout financial resources, the agenda will be nothing more than a symbolic wish list.\u201d<\/p>\n