Shared interests, shared costs: Student contributions in Dutch higher education

Students now have to contribute more to the costs of higher education than in the past. The Netherlands provides an interesting example of the global trend towards 'cost sharing'. Tuition fees are going up; general subsidies to students have gone down and/or have been replaced by means-tested grants and loans. All in all, there is reason to expect that enrolment in higher education and student choice will come under pressure.