TU/e students perform well academically, but also develop beyond their studies: during a board year at an association, through participation, or within one of the student teams. At least, that is the ideal image the university likes to present. What is less visible is the price tag that comes with it.

Because when your daytime schedule is filled with meetings and you make time in the evenings for sports, friends, a part-time job, or simply relaxation, less time remains for your studies. An active student life therefore quickly leads to study delay. And study delay is now a luxury not everyone can afford.

Students are facing ever-rising costs: rent, tuition fees, and groceries. With the basic student grant – about 350 euros for a student living independently – you often cannot even cover your rent. That means taking on extra student loans, working more hours, or relying on financial support from parents. And every additional year of study must be paid for out of pocket. If you take four years to complete your bachelor’s degree, you still only receive three years of the basic student grant.

Meanwhile, TU/e benefits from the visibility and successes of students who commit themselves to associations and student teams, while those same students bear the financial consequences of their study delay. Yes, there is compensation for a board year, but it often just covers tuition fees, even though you take few or no courses during that year.

If this trend continues, a three-way divide among students is looming: the “gray mass” that focuses entirely on their studies, the “C-students” who try to combine everything and just manage to pass, and the “wealthy high-achievers” who can afford study delay. The result is that Eindhoven’s diverse association culture is coming under pressure.

That is a shame, because the experience gained through extracurricular activities is highly valuable. You develop skills such as leadership, collaboration, policymaking, and communication—precisely by applying them in practice. These skills form an important foundation for a successful career after graduation.

That is why it is time for greater recognition of students who commit themselves alongside their studies. This could include awarding credits for committee work or offering more substantial financial compensation for students in boards and student teams. Some universities are already taking steps, for example with “tuition-free board years”: students who take on a full-time board position or team role do not pay tuition fees. That is only logical—they are not attending classes during that period.

In any case, change is needed. Let’s make the active student the norm again, rather than an elite position.

Sterre van de Schoot is a student of Architecture, Building and Planning at TU/e and, on behalf of the student faction DAS, a member of the University Council (UR). She writes this column in a personal capacity.

Photo Sterre van de Schoot | Jurre Wolters

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