The student from Türkiye was enrolled in the two-year master’s program ‘Big Data Management and Business Analytics program’ (BDMA), a collaboration between five European universities, including TU/e. Students in the program completed the first two semesters in Brussels and Barcelona, after which they could choose a specialization at one of the other participating universities.

The student in question wanted to pursue his specialization in Eindhoven, but was informed at the start of the program that this would not be possible due to his Turkish nationality. This was related to differing tuition criteria applied by the program and TU/e.

Different countries and tuition rates

As at TU/e, students from within the European Economic Area (EEA) paid a lower tuition fee for the BDMA program than students from outside the EEA. However, there are differences: both the fee amounts and the countries eligible for each rate differ between the joint master’s program and TU/e.

Within the BDMA program, students from Türkiye, Serbia, and North Macedonia—alongside EEA students—were eligible for the lower tuition rate. At TU/e, however, these three countries fall under the higher tuition rate.

According to TU/e spokesperson Ivo Jongsma, the gap between what students from these countries would pay and the actual cost of the program became so large that, from 2020 onward, these students could no longer choose TU/e in the program. Otherwise, the program as a whole would become too expensive for the university, he said.

Discrimination

When the Turkish student was informed by the consortium that TU/e was not an option for him, he felt discriminated against by the university and brought the case to the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. The institute ruled in his favor. While the university argued that it had financial reasons for refusing the student, those financial reasons were still linked to his Turkish nationality, according to the institute.

‘In the documents, the respondent also acknowledges that it distinguishes between EEA and non-EEA students when admitting students to the specialization,’ the institute states. It therefore concluded that the university made a prohibited distinction based on nationality.

According to TU/e spokesperson Ivo Jongsma, a recurrence within this specific program is no longer possible, as it has reached the end of its term. 'Moreover, all department boards are being asked to critically assess any other European programs to prevent similar situations from arising in those programs.'

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.