Photo Guy Ackermans Students in higher education will pay 2,694 euros in tuition fees per year from September 2026. This is an increase of almost one hundred euros. Reason is the relatively high inflation of last year.
Tuition fees at universities and colleges rise in line with inflation. Groceries, clothes and café visits become more expensive, so then tuition fees – with some delay – also go up. This academic year students pay 2,530 euros and next academic year it will be 2,601 euros. The rate for academic year 2026/2027 can now also be calculated, as CBS has published the April inflation rate.
For the increase in tuition fees, the ministry looks at the annual average of the months of May through April. During that period, inflation was 3.6 percent. That is well above the target of 2 percent. Thanks to the price increases, tuition thus comes to 2,694 euros. This amount may perhaps differ by one or two more euros: the inflation figures for March and April are not yet final.
Exceptionally high
Until 2022, new tuition fees were based on inflation in one month, April. The difference was usually a few tens. But in April 2022, inflation was exceptionally high (nearly 10 percent) and politicians were shocked that tuition would rise more than 200 euros. Minister Dijkgraaf quickly adjusted the regulation: from now on, the ministry would base it on inflation over a whole year, which would give fewer peaks and troughs.
This is all about the statutory fee for students who have not yet completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The government no longer funds second study, so students pay the high institutional rate for that. However, there are exceptions for retraining into healthcare or teaching.
By the way, the basic scholarship is also increased annually to compensate for increased prices. Because of extreme inflation in 2022, students were even given additional inflation compensation, but the minister stopped that last year.
Translated using DeepL.
