The amount of money that Dutch universities receive from the government has not increased in proportion to the rise in student numbers, according to the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU). A report in de Volkskrant reveals that since the mid-1990s the amount per student has fallen in real terms by 10 percent.

In 1995/1996, the government provided 5832 euros per student, and this rose to more than 6000 euros at the end of the decade. But by 2007/2008, the amount had fallen to 5372 euros per student, while the number of students increased from 176,000 in 1995 to 211,000 last year.

A spokesperson for the association said that the real picture was even worse if you compare the situation with the 1980's, which shows that the budget allocation per student was 40 percent higher in real terms than last year.