In the upcoming academic year, Ukrainian refugees seeking education at Dutch universities will be required to pay tuition fees at the non-European student rate. The cost of the courses,

estimated to range between 10,000 and 15,000 euros per year, will apply to Ukrainian students, as reported by the Volkskrant.

During the current academic year, Ukrainian students who fled the war were granted an exception by the umbrella organizations Universities of the Netherlands and the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. They paid the same tuition fees as Dutch students, which amounted to 2,209 euros last year. However, Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf decided against implementing a general regulation, leaving it to individual universities to decide whether to make an exception for Ukrainian refugees.

Most higher education institutions do not plan to extend the exception in the upcoming academic year, mainly due to the financial burden it imposes, according to statements from the umbrella organizations to the Volkskrant. A spokesperson for the Universities of the Netherlands stated, "We believe that it is the task of the national government to finance this." Last year, the 540 Ukrainians enrolled in Dutch universities will be able to complete their studies under the same conditions, paying the standard Dutch rates instead of non-European rates.

Some universities, however, will voluntarily offer Ukrainian refugees a discount. For instance, TU Eindhoven will charge them the same rate as Dutch students. A spokesperson explained, "We want to financially assist talented young people from Ukraine in this way."

Ukrainian refugees do not qualify for subsidized studies due to their special status in the Netherlands. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Dutch government exempted fleeing Ukrainians from the regular asylum procedure and granted them Temporary Protection Directive status, allowing them to stay in the country. While this exempted them from overcrowded asylum shelters, it also meant they do not have the same rights as recognized refugees, including eligibility for social assistance benefits and student finance. Photo by Ceescamel, Wikimedia commons.