International students do not always feel at home in the Netherlands
International students are generally satisfied with Dutch higher education, but face difficulties with student finance and housing. In their interactions with Dutch students, they often feel excluded.
Each year, student organisations Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg (ISO), Landelijke Studentenvakbond (LSVb) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) commission research into the wellbeing of international students in the Netherlands. This time, around 700 international students completed a questionnaire conducted by ResearchNed.
Overall, they are positive about the education they receive. More than eight in ten say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their lecturers, who, according to respondents, speak good English. In general, they also feel well informed about their study programmes and admission procedures.
Dissatisfied with DUO
However, international students believe that information about practical and administrative matters could be improved. It is not always available in English. In particular, they are dissatisfied with Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO). Many are unsure whether they are entitled to student finance and frequently encounter long waiting times and language barriers.
Earlier this month it emerged that a company in Tilburg has been taking advantage of this situation. For a substantial fee, the company ‘assists’ international students in applying for student finance, charging them hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of euros. The Openbaar Ministerie described the company’s practices as ‘morally reprehensible’, although not criminal.
Housing
Many international students also find it difficult to secure accommodation: nearly one in three takes more than three months to find a room. They frequently encounter discrimination in housing advertisements containing phrases such as ‘no internationals’. In addition, more than half believe they pay higher rents than Dutch students. In some cases, they are even scammed.
Some internationals feel that educational institutions should take greater responsibility. One respondent argues that universities should not admit students if they cannot provide them with housing.
Excluded
Many international students are positive about their social lives, particularly their contact with other internationals. Study associations are generally welcoming towards them, they say, but traditional student associations far less so.
Contact with Dutch students often proves more difficult. International students sometimes feel excluded when Dutch is spoken around them or when Dutch students prefer to work only with one another.
Not feeling at home
International students rate their mental wellbeing at an average of 6.8 out of 10. This is comparable to the score reported by Dutch students. Many experience friendship and happiness. However, one third say they do not feel at home in the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, more than half of international students consider staying in the Netherlands after graduation or returning here later. Among the things they appreciate is the country’s good work-life balance. One frequently mentioned reason for leaving, however, is the Dutch weather.
HOP, Naomi Bergshoeff