Massive education cuts in the Netherlands target international students. Universities protest

Brussels – It has been a tough few weeks for universities in the Netherlands since the Conservative government cut drastically funds allocated to higher education: a total cut of 497 million euros, spread over several items, including scholarships and research. In particular, the policy for international students was the hardest hit, seeing a slash of as much as 186 million euros.

The budget restrictions became law on April 9, while Education Minister Eppo Bruins advanced proposals aimed at discouraging the arrival of non-Dutch students in the country and favoring study programs in the national language. In particular, Bruins called for no more than one-third of the teaching in undergraduate degree programs to be conducted in a foreign language and for special committees to screen degree programs in English. This is a significant change, considering that, in the Netherlands, 50 percent of teaching takes place simultaneously in English and Dutch. Universities will also have to implement a ceiling for the number of international students enrolled, and if this measure is not effective enough, they will receive less funding per student. The government is also discussing limiting financial support for EU students working in the country and imposing higher fees for non-EU students.

Universities in border regions and those in internationalization programs will be the hardest hit, as a significant part of their revenue comes from international students, who pay higher tuition fees. Rianne Letschert, chair of the board of trustees of the Maastricht University, which has more than 10,000 enrolled students from abroad, expressed concern. “We are already seeing a decline in enrollment for the new academic year. International students do not want to study in a country where they are not welcome, which greatly impacts the university. If it collapses, we will have a big problem. That is why we have submitted a counterproposal to the education minister.”

The counterproposal — which several universities across the country backed and that Minister Bruins rejected on Thursday (April 24) — provided that universities determine which foreign-language courses to discontinue and which to keep, accepting a certain level of restrictions for non-Dutch students. The situation is dire. As a result of the cuts, the Free University of Amsterdam was forced to close its entire earth sciences department. At the same time, the Randstad universities announced that as of 2027, they will discontinue degree programs in psychology aimed at international students.

Despite the protest that, especially in Maastricht, hundreds of students attended, the Education Minister confirmed the cuts. “We need to invest more in defense and at the end of the month have more money in our pockets. This means that we have to make painful choices in some areas.” On why the restrictions mainly target international students, Bruins replied, “In the Netherlands, many international students can study almost for free; this costs us a lot of taxpayer money. At the same time, we see that many international students, after their studies, immediately leave for foreign countries and do not contribute to our society.” “With these measures, we want to attract the right students and entice them to contribute to our economy,” the minister added. However, the data seem to prove him wrong: according to a report, non-EU students bring a net gain to the Dutch treasury of 96,000 euros per student, while 31 percent live and work in the country five years after graduation.