According to SOG, part-time student managers at associations are struggling. Their study financing is decreasing even though they often work 20 hours a week for their associations and also have to study. That often means they do not spend a lot of time attending classes, despite having to cough up the full tuition amount.

‘We would like to offer the student managers the opportunity to choose a more flexible arrangement. This would mean that when the student is in this exceptional position, they could choose between paying regular tuition or a so-called flex track, where they do modules consisting of 15 ECTS, which would limit their costs during a board year’, the faction writes in a proposal to the Board of the University.

But the RUG board is not interested. ‘Our educational philosophy is based on the principle that learning takes priority over board work.’

No delay

According to the managers, the curriculum and the way the academic year is arranged is aimed at full-time students who do not incur any delays. ‘There is no room for some kind of cafeteria model where people only follow part of a programme as it suits their needs.’

The University of Amsterdam is willing to experiment with a pay-per-course model. But the trial, which was supposed to start in September, has been delayed for a year because the legal options do not yet exist. The RUG board wants to wait for the experiment and the necessary legislative changes before it wants to even discuss flexible studying.