Holland: Tuition fee increase will hurt students

One third of university students will quit their studies if tuition fees are raised sharply over the next few years, according to research by the students’ union LSVb, quoted in Friday’s AD. The fees for Dutch and EU students, currently €1565, are being increased by €22 a year for the next 10 years. It is expected that tuition fees will reach €2100 by 2018. The money will be used to increase teachers’ pay. The LSVb polled 300 students. Of them, 75% said they had no money left at the end of the month and one in 10 did not have enough cash to live on. Students currently have to repay their study loans within 15 years, but education minister Ronald Plasterk is considering increasing that to 25 years, news agency ANP reported.//DutchNews.nl