Dutch universities to significantly reduce tuition fees for Ukrainian refugees

Dutch universities have decided to reduce the tuition fees by about €10,000 for incoming Ukrainian refugees starting next academic year.

The organisation Universities of the Netherlands argued to lower tuition fees for research universities and universities of applied sciences, says Ruben Puylaert, a spokesperson from the organisation.

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Compelled to take action

Many Dutch universities felt that they had to do something to help students coming from the war-torn country, says BNR.

All 14 Dutch research universities will reduce their tuition fees from this group for the coming academic year.

Refugees will only have to pay €2,209 during the coming academic year. Current Ukrainian students pay the institutional fee, which is usually between €10,000 and €15,000.

‘It is important to provide security to aspiring students who have fled Ukraine because they find themselves in such an uncertain situation’, says the chairman of the University of the Netherlands, Pieter Duisenberg.

At the moment, it’s unknown whether universities of applied sciences will offer the same reduction.

Emergency living expenses

While Dutch universities lowered tuition fees for Ukrainian refugees, the government has not agreed to do the same for current Ukrainian university students.

Many students who are already studying need financial aid and the reduction of tuition fees would not be enough.

Even though Dutch universities have emergency funds for this, they are calling on the government to shoulder some weight by providing Ukrainian students with living allowances.