Tuition fees are rising

From the coming academic year, students will pay €2,694 for their course at a university of applied sciences or a university, and from September 2027 this will most likely rise to €2,771. This is according to inflation figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The Department for Education determines the new rate based on inflation over a one-year period: from May 2025 to April 2026. The average inflation rate during that period was 2.85%. The Department will announce the official new rate sometime in the coming months.

This applies only to the statutory tuition fee. In principle, the government funds one bachelor’s and one master’s degree. Anyone wishing to undertake a second degree must pay the institutional tuition fee, which universities and universities of applied sciences are free to set at their own discretion and which is usually thousands of euros higher.

There are, however, exceptions for retraining in healthcare or education, given the staff shortages in those sectors. Arrangements have also been made for students undertaking two degrees: they are permitted to complete both degrees at the standard rate.

HOP, Bas Belleman