Slashing international student totals will not save €293 million as new coalition claims

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science predicted several financial setbacks after an analysis of the outline coalition agreement from the PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB. For example, ministry officials doubt whether it is actually possible to save 293 million euros per year by admitting fewer international students. Students from European Union countries form the largest group, and it is legally difficult to stop them from studying in the Netherlands.

The incoming Cabinet could choose to make administrative agreements with research and applied sciences universities to limit the influx of international students. But according to the officials, the educational institutions "do not benefit directly from this." The ministry said that the intention to reduce the arrival of new students is generally shrouded in uncertainty, making it nearly impossible to predict how much money this can realistically save.

Officials are also skeptical about the intention to make students who have been studying for a long time pay increased tuition fees. That will "in any case" not be possible by January 1, 2025, as the coalition parties desire. As a result, it will only be possible to save money with this proposal a year later, creating a one-off financial gap of 285 million euros.

The intention to increase the value added tax on books from 9 to 21 percent will also have significant financial consequences for schools. The ministry expects that they will therefore spend 50 million euros more on school books.

Schools in the Randstad region will have an additional problem, officials predicted. The coalition wants to put an end to a scheme that should make it more attractive for teachers to work in Randstad municipalities by giving them a higher salary.

The current ministry leadership thinks schools will fall into financial trouble as a result, as teachers retain their accrued rights to a higher salary. Officials anticipate that this arrangement will have to be phased out more gradually, and that other cuts will therefore be necessary.

The ministry also listed a number of coalition proposals for which no budget has been made available, such as the intention to offer teachers more full-time jobs and to provide more practical education in primary schools.

All ministries have produced an official analysis of the plans announced in the outline agreement in order to prepare for this. The Cabinet has made these public at the request of parliamentarians.