{"id":94214,"date":"2019-01-23T12:28:05","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T11:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=94214"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:11","slug":"students-with-functional-impairment-need-not-fall-behind-in-their-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/01\/23\/students-with-functional-impairment-need-not-fall-behind-in-their-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Students with functional impairment need not fall behind in their studies\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A study conducted by the Dutch Education Inspectorate<\/a> has shown that many students with functional impairment are unaware that they may receive financial support from their university\u2019s student financial support fund (known as a \u2018profileringsfonds\u2019 in Dutch). The Minister for Education, Ingrid van Engelshoven, feels that\u00a0education institutions must do a better job of informing their students<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Wheelchair race at the Erasmus Plaza<\/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\tFeba Sukmana<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cThe student financial support fund is a fund that allows us, the university, to offer financial support to students who fall behind in their studies due to extenuating circumstances,\u201d explains Rianne Nieuwdorp, a Teaching and Student Affairs policy officer. \u201cFor instance, when they\u2019re on the board of a student organisation, are elite athletes or have functional impairment.\u201d<\/p>\n

EUR\u2019s student financial aid fund holds about \u20ac1.6 million. At present, 38 students, including a few with functional impairments, receive a \u2018force majeure\u2019 grant. That number is rather low when you realise that EUR has an estimated 1,500 students with functional impairment. \u201cHowever, the student financial support fund only awards grants to students who have actually fallen behind in their studies,\u201d Nieuwdorp explains. \u201cSo in a way, the number is not related to the overall number of students with impairments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not the best solution<\/h2>

According to the study carried out by the Dutch Education Inspectorate, information on the various universities\u2019 student financial support funds is hard to find and isn\u2019t always very clear, either. As a result, many students miss out on financial support. Therefore, the Inspectorate calls on tertiary education institutions\u2019 executive boards to provide proper information.<\/p>\n

Counsellor Marlijn Timmermans-Muller is all in favour of this. However, she believes the low number of grant applications may not be due to poor information, but rather due to the Fund\u2019s rules. \u201cFor instance, you must fall behind in your studies during your first four years at uni,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller. \u201cI\u2019ve encountered a few cases in which students who had previously attended a university of applied sciences fell behind in their pre-Master\u2019s programme due to poor health or mental health issues. However, since they had used up their four years, they were no longer eligible for financial support from the student financial support fund.\u201d In such cases, students may have to turn to other sources for financial support, such as private funds.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the student financial support fund is not the best solution for students who have fallen behind in their studies. \u201cThe first thing we counsellors do is to see if we can arrange anything with DUO. Depending on how far they have fallen behind, students can ask DUO to be granted one additional year\u2019s student finance,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller. \u201cThis option often works out better for them than the student financial support fund, because they also get to keep their OV chip card (a smartcard that allows students to travel on public transport for free \u2013 ed.) for another year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collaboration with study advisors<\/h2>

\u201cWhen students first embark on their degree, we always tell them\u00a0what types of support are available to students at the university<\/a> \u2013 for instance, at an information evening,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller. \u201cBut during Year 1, we don\u2019t provide a lot of in-depth information on the student financial support fund, because the information typically isn\u2019t relevant yet at that stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nieuwdorp confirms this. \u201cWhen you first embark on your degree, you have no idea if you\u2019ll ever need this fund. Generally speaking, students don\u2019t realise they have mental health issues or learning disorders until they\u2019re well into their degree. For this reason, we seek to post this information on EUR\u2019s website<\/a>\u00a0in a way that makes it easy to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also get the study advisors involved in the process. \u201cA few times a year we\u2019ll meet with the study advisors to keep them posted on the latest news and the options open to their students,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller. \u201cIn this way we seek to give study advisors the information they need, so that they can then refer their students to the fund in their turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apply for an arrangement through your study advisor<\/h2>

The student financial support fund also helps out EUR\u2019s international students. \u201cBut we must stress that international students are only eligible for financial support in a limited number of situations. For instance, it depends on their residency status in the Netherlands,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller.<\/p>\n

Students can apply for financial support directly through a counsellor. \u201cBut I would appreciate it if they went through their study advisor, anyway,\u201d says Timmermans-Muller. \u201cIn this way, everyone will be aware of their grant application, and the study advisors can help them find a solution for the degree-related aspects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prevention is better than cure<\/h2>

In addition, Nieuwdorp feels that the help students receive should focus on preventing students from falling behind in their studies. \u201cWe provide alternative methods that may help students with functional impairment, such as additional support by the study advisor and the lecturers, thus preventing them from falling behind in their studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Timmermans-Muller is working on a project designed to make EUR a better place for students with functional impairment, both in terms of facilities and in terms of procedures. \u201cIn association with the Functional Impairments Student Panel, I\u2019m trying to find a way that will allow students with impairment to easily take all the steps necessary if they need help.\u201d The Panel also wants greater consistency between the various faculties. \u201cMeaning that, if you\u2019re an ESL student who is taking a minor at ESE, you won\u2019t have to tell everyone all over again who you are and what kind of problems you have. Instead your file will be transferred from one faculty to the next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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