The scope not to pay the tuition fee, intended for students wishing to hold a board position full time for a year while taking no courses, is just one part of the new bill that was passed yesterday in the Upper House. Executive Board member Jo van Ham called it on Monday a 'can' provision. “Educational institutions can decide to introduce this measure, but they are not obliged to,” is how he explained the situation to University Council members.

“At TU/e the Executive Board sees no reason to change current policy on student board members. By this we mean that we want board membership and studying to be a joint undertaking. This is why the full-time grant was abolished in 2012 and replaced with a grant for a maximum period of nine months.”

In a letter sent at the end of May, student faction Groep-één had pressed for the tuition fee exemption for a certain category of students at TU/e. They had in mind students who have completed their Bachelor at the nominal or near-nominal tempo, and who wish to do a full-time board year before starting their Master's.