The fine for taking a long time to finish their studies is causing a lot of stress, worry and is making doing a degree programme in higher education extra hard for students with disabilities, says Marissa van der Tol, Chair of Student Onbeperkt. “And that while we already are 3-0 behind other students.” She argues for students with a disability being exempted from the ruling.

Hundreds of students, lecturers, higher education executives and opposition politicians took to the streets of Utrecht on Saturday in protest at the new government’s plans to fine delayed graduation and its proposed cuts to higher education and research.

Some 130 aerospace engineering master students have been working on building an aircraft since 2017. They do this during the hands-on course Aircraft Manufacturing Lab, a hands-on course where you learn to be consistent and to never cover up mistakes.

Over two years after taking office, outgoing Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf has sent his ‘Internationalisering in Balans’ (Internationalisation in Equilibrium) bill to the House of Representatives. As far as he’s concerned, international students continue to be welcome, but institutions will be given ‘instruments’ to manage the influx.