Promised quality boost in higher education not yet complete

When the student grant system was replaced with a loan system, research universities and universities of applied science undertook to collectively invest an additional €600 million in the quality of higher education over three years. The Netherlands Court of Audit has investigated whether they have kept their undertaking and concluded that they probably have not done so in full.

The Court of Audit also asked whether students had had a say in the investments. In 2015 the student councils were granted a right to vote on the main points of the universities’ budgets. The audit found that some progress had been made but students did not yet always have a say in decision-making at an early stage.

Rapport Voorinvesteringen en medezeggenschap hoger onderwijs