More students getting paid for internships, however the fees are still too low

Two in three students in secondary (mbo) and higher vocational education (hbo) are receiving compensation from their internships. The number of students receiving this has increased in the last few years. The average compensation has also increased in price, but it is not rising as fast as inflation. As a result, mbo and hbo students have suffered slightly in relative terms, the study of the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) concluded.

Students at the basic secondary vocational education level receive an average of 110 euros a month, which is around 200 euros a month for students on mbo-4, which is the highest level of secondary vocational education. Hbo-bachelor students receive around 300 euros.

The difference in this is partly because hbo students do internships for four days a week, and mbo students do it for two days a week. According to the researchers, the compensations have risen over the last few years but “insufficiently to keep up with the high inflation of the last few years.”

According to the research, there are not only significant differences in the fees between the education levels but also in the number of students that receive compensation. Around 76 percent of hbo-bachelor students are compensated for their internship, and 66 percent of mbo-4 students also receive compensation, while only 22 percent of other mbo students are paid for their work.

There are also significant differences within these levels. For example, 89 percent of hbo students in technology, industry, and construction receive compensation, compared to 34 percent of hbo students in language sciences.

Around 94 percent of construction and infrastructure students are compensated for their work at MBO-4 level, while this applies to only 26 percent of personal care students.

The Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg (ISO), which is the intercity student consultation, is pushing for a legal requirement for every student to be paid for their work during internships. They also want the compensation to be of a minimum requirement.

“A lot of students are still not receiving any compensation, and when they do, the fees are too low. This means that doing an internship is a financial barrier, while it is often a compulsory part of your studies," said the ISO’s chair Mylou Miché.