Not attending classes, still paying tuition
Last week, a manifesto landed on the desks of the Dutch House of Representatives. It contains a clearly worded call from the Dutch National Student Association (ISO) and the National Chamber of Associations: full-time student board members shouldn’t have to pay tuition fees. It’s an understandable request, because why should you pay for a year’s worth of classes that you hardly attend?
And yet, that’s exactly what’s happening. Anyone who commits to a year of full-time board work pays the full tuition fees. And full-time really means full-time: 40 hours a week, often more. Of course, there are various forms of commitment outside your studies, but the difference between a supporting role and a daily board position with full responsibility is clear.
The choice to serve on a board is voluntary, but the commitment it requires is anything but. Although the financial compensation for a board year offers some relief, it doesn’t make up for the tuition fees. In fact, the system requires you to enroll in order to be eligible for the compensation in the first place. This creates a strange situation: you pay for education that you hardly use.
Board members do benefit from their student status: they have, for instance, access to facilities and a student travel card. It makes sense to pay something in return, but forking over the full tuition fees for classes that you hardly attend is unfair. A reduced rate would be more appropriate here, making for a customized solution that recognizes what board members do and don’t use.
What’s more, alternatives already exist. Since 2016, universities have been allowed to exempt students who are not enrolled in courses but are active on boards from paying tuition fees. However, TU/e doesn’t make use of this option, generally arguing that students who are actively enrolled can continue to take courses. In practice, however, doing so is hardly compatible with a board week of 40 hours or more.
Besides, access to courses shouldn’t be mutually exclusive with a reduced rate. After all, pre-master’s students also take fewer courses at a lower rate. Student teams have now also been given more flexibility, in the form of credits for work done. Why doesn’t this apply to students who spend a year working very hard to improve life on and around campus?
A year on the board isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. But working to make student life better shouldn’t come with all kinds of extra barriers. It’s a great thing when students are committed to their fellow students and campus life. Make that commitment possible, rather than unnecessarily complicating it.
Wob Knaap is a student Data Science at TU/e. The views expressed in this column are his own.
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