It seems inevitable that some students will experience delays as a result of the coronavirus crisis. That is especially bitter for final-year students. Those who expected to graduate before the summer, may have to register again in September. Not surprisingly, the Dutch government is allocating €200 million to compensate affected final-year students; those who obtain a diploma between September 2020 and the end of January 2021 at a university of applied sciences (associate degree, Bachelor’s or Master’s) or at a university (Master’s only) will receive a refund on three months of tuition fees. For students at universities and universities of applied sciences, that amounts to €535.

For students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) that sum of €535 euros is on the low side. They do not pay the statutory tuition fees – currently €2,083 per annum – but the so-called institutional fee.

At the TU/e for bachelor students that fee is 11.000 euros and 16.000 euros for master students. That’s why some institutions, including the TU/e, have taken the voluntary decision to charge non-EEA students, who have experienced a delay, a reduced fee for several months starting from 1 September. This discount is not available to everyone. Only final-year Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree students, who would have graduated without the coronavirus crisis, are eligible.

For example, final-year students from non-EEA countries at the University of Twente can study for 5 months after the summer for the statutory tuition fee, writes university magazine U-Today. At Delft University of Technology they will be given up to 3 months to complete their programme for the same discount. That maximum term of three months also applies for the TU/e and the examination committees will determine the period necessary for each individual non-EEA student to complete the program.