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The cabinet has decided that tuition fees for universities and colleges of higher education may be increased by a few hundred euros. Almost the entire opposition was against, but the coalition parties, including D66, which likes to call itself the education party. The coalition received support from the SGP.
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It Higher Education Press Agency (HOP) calculates that from September 2023 students will pay 2,421 euros per year in tuition fees, 212 euros more than for the coming year. That rate is set by the government on the basis of inflation. The benchmark for this was April, when inflation was 9.6 percent.
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At the beginning of last month, Volt, together with the BoerBurgerBeweging, submitted a motion to freeze the amount of tuition fees, because ‘students from low- and middle-income families may find themselves in further financial difficulties as a result.’ According to education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66), there would be ‘no cover’ for this and the entire coalition, supported by SGP, voted down the motion on Tuesday.
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Coincidentally, the basic grant will also return in September 2023. As a result, students receive more money, but the higher tuition fees immediately take a bite out of it: the increase of 212 euros is approximately equal to two months of basic grant for students living at home. In principle, the cabinet can easily stop the increase in tuition fees. The law does not need to be amended for this. The rate is determined by ‘general administrative order’.
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