The number of international students in the Netherlands hardly needs to decrease to meet the planned budget cuts, Education Minister Eppo Bruins confirmed to the Senate. If the current number of students remains the same, the savings in higher education are likely to be met.
Originally, the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB coalition parties wanted to significantly reduce the number of international students through stricter language policies and a budget cut of EUR 293 million per year. Under pressure from opposition parties, the cut was reduced to EUR 168 million.
An analysis by the Higher Education Press Agency (HOP) showed that these remaining cuts have already been achieved. The Ministry had anticipated an increase in the number of international students and factored this into the budget. If that increase does not materialise in the coming years – meaning the number of internationals stays the same as it is now – the Education Ministry will spend less money than projected. And that means that the savings are already in place.
Or, as Bruins puts it, “If this growth [in internationals] does not occur or is at least lower than expected, it could already significantly help achieve the remaining budget cuts.”
Comments are closed.