A proposed policy change would make student sports so expensive that it could become unaffordable for the average student, say the Dutch National Student Association (ISO), Universities of the Netherlands, Student Sports Netherlands, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, and NOC*NSF.
ISO and its partners have launched a petition calling on the House of Representatives to make an exception to the OCW regulations due to the broader public interest of sport.
What’s going on?
Sports facilities for students have been classified as ‘private’ by the ministry. Since 2003, there have been rules governing the use of public funds for private activities at educational institutions. OCW is now changing those rules, meaning such investments may only be made on a one-off or small-scale basis. Structural investments will no longer be allowed.
This means sports facilities will have to be offered without subsidies, which could drive up the cost of an annual membership by several hundred euros. The initiators also warn that the future of sports centres and student sports associations is at risk.
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