Tuition is still going to be free, but the direct monthly support students get will be cut, I believe. So the state provides monthly support as long as you get enough credits, and also allows students to take up a low interest loan, which is also partially backed up by the state, so you don’t actually have to pay it back in full. This change is meant to leave the less student relying on the monthly support alone, since it is more expensive for the state. Tuition fees for international students will be introduced soon – thus far studying has been ‘free’ for them as well.
My sister moved to the Netherlands last year to study and immediately took up a loan. I hope she handles it responsibly, knowing her past spending habits. I can be quite frugal myself.
The government elected by last year’s elections did introduce a number of budget cuts to help the budget deficit – and the extra spending caused by the refugee crisis ate up most of the ‘saved’ money, I believe. It’s a mess.
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