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[–] Boukert [OP] 0 points (+0|-0) Edited

All new students at universities and colleges will pay half the tuition fee for their first academic year. The Senate has approved a bill about this from Minister Van Engelshoven of Education.

The discount only applies to people who have not studied before. From the academic year 2018-2019 they do not pay 2060 euros, but 1030 euros. In teacher training, tuition fees for the first two years are halved.

The government wants to remove financial barriers with the measure for future students. "Students are really happy with this", Van Engelshoven thinks. "When you go to college, tuition fees are pretty much the first bill you get, and it really makes a difference if there is more than 2000 euros or the 1000 that we have arranged." Drop on the glowing plate

The National Student Union (LSVb) is critical of the adopted law. According to the union it is a drop in the ocean, because the interest on student loans is increased. This higher rate costs students with a loan from 15,000 euros over the entire term estimated at least 1300 euros.

Earlier, the Council of State (RvS) already questioned the effectiveness of the measure. The financial advantage for students is too limited to get hard-to-reach audiences to study, the RvS advised in March.

For example, it is not self-evident that more people will follow the teacher training program now that the tuition fees will be halved in the first two years. According to the Council of State, this does not amount to the 58,500 euros that students living away on average spend on a study program at a university or college.

According to the council, the government can spend the money better to achieve the same goal.