The Education Executive Agency (DUO) has notified more than 8.500 students in the Netherlands that they are entitled to compensation for student loans. However, according to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins, they were wrongly informed and the situation will be corrected.
Earlier this month, DUO started awarding compensation for student loans. According to Hart van Nederland, 576.000 students had 800 million euros deducted from their student debt.
Unfortunately, 8.590 international students were told they would be receiving compensation as well when they were not eligible. The students from the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the United Kingdom were actually only eligible for a tuition fee loan, not compensation. An error for DUO that adds up to 6,6 million euros.
The affected students will reportedly receive a letter notifying them that they are in fact not eligible for financial compensation and their student debt will be adjusted to the correct amount.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, Bruins writes that the error was most likely caused by an “incomplete definition” of the students who should receive the allowance, which meant that students who were entitled to a tuition fee credit were also rewarded compensation for their student loans. "This should not have been the case," wrote Minister Bruins.
For many students, this would be frustrating as they will now see their debts rise again after feeling a moment of relief. "I am aware that errors can never be completely ruled out in complex implementation processes, in which many students are involved. However, we should always want to do better," said Bruins.
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