Education minister wants to cancel student debts more often

Education minister wants to cancel student debts more often

Sometimes it is clear that a former student will never be able to pay off his student debts. DUO should be able to cancel the debt in these cases, writes Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education) to the Dutch Senate and Parliament. 

High debts, no income, psychological problems… In a letter about the ‘human factor’ and student finances, Minister Dijkgraaf writes that the Education Executive Agency (DUO) already often applies tailor-made solutions when citizens get into trouble.

Nevertheless, things go wrong sometimes and civilians are disproportionately affected. According to Dijkgraaf we ‘still have steps to take’. Among other things, he intends to examine the ‘remission policy’, aiming to make it easier to cancel someone’s debt if necessary. 

Currently, DUO can only cancel a debt if someone is in a coma, is terminally ill or is in a hopeless situation with a psychiatric disorder. It’s not enough, says Dijkgraaf, in the current situation, a fair number of students fall through the cracks. In such cases it should be possible to make an exception, he believes. (HOP, BB)