DUO, the agency in charge of administering student financing, incorrectly told 8,590 international students that they would receive compensation in connection with the student loan system. The error represents a total of 6.6 million euros.
(Photo: Thijs van Reeuwijk)
This month, more than 800 million euros was earmarked to ease the debt incurred by students who missed out on a basic student grant due to previous government policy. The House of Representatives earlier backed a plan to compensate this group, who had to borrow more as a result.
But this week, education minister Eppo Bruins informed the House by letter (in Dutch) that a group of 8,590 international students were also notified that they would be compensated, despite not being eligible for the scheme.
Tuition fees
These European students were not entitled to full student financing under the loan system and were only granted a student loan to cover their tuition fees, the minister explained. However, DUO mistakenly overlooked this distinction and inadvertently included them when notifying students about compensation.
To complicate matters further, some of these students were also entitled to a regular student loan for part of their studies but not the whole period. They will therefore receive compensation, but less than the amount stated by DUO.
Rectification
Bruins assures the House that DUO will rectify the situation as soon as possible and contact these students and former students by letter. If it turns out that their student debt has actually been reduced, this will be reversed within weeks.
“I am aware that errors in such complex implementation processes involving large numbers of students can never be entirely ruled out”, the minister writes. “That said, we should always strive to do better.”
Next phase
Bruins also announced that DUO will soon proceed with the next phase in the compensation process. This involves paying out 500 million euros to 240,500 former students without student debt or whose debt is less than the compensation they are due to receive. In other words, some or all of their compensation will be paid directly into their bank account.
The first cohort of students under the loan system will also receive an extra amount: a study voucher worth almost 2,100 euros. This voucher scheme is aimed at a separate group, the minister writes, and they were notified without any problems.
HOP, Bas Belleman
Translation: Taalcentrum-VU
HOP
Hoger Onderwijs Persbureau
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