Bursaries only for speedy students

The Dutch government wants to limit state funding to students who finish their studies in the prescribed period of time. The daily NRC Handelsblad fears this will lead universities to spur students on to finish their studies even faster: "Only a minority of students finish their studies in the allotted time. As the vast majority of students cannot consist only of sluggards and deadbeats, it seems that this prescribed period is a little on the short side. Many students love what they study, and passion takes time to develop. Another reason is perhaps also the very meagre financial aid. ... It devalues university education when you can only graduate by being well-behaved and finishing all your exams on time, and literature and foreign internships are being cut from science degrees."

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