Netherlands: Final education budget approved with €1.2 Bn cuts; universities preparing a lawsuit

The Dutch government's education budget, including €1.2 Bn budget cuts, is approved by the Senate on 08/04/2025. On the same day, the association of Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) announces plans to file a lawsuit to halt some of the cutbacks.

The total budget amounts to €57 Bn for Education, Culture and Science (including Higher education), with an initial budget cut of €2 Bn reduced to €1.2 Bn after the bill went through the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament. Knowledge institutes, higher education facilities, and researchers are most impacted by these cuts.

The bill was opposed by left-wing parties in the Eerste Kamer (Senate), but got sufficient support from coalition parties (PVV, VVD and BBB) and opposition parties (CDA, JA21 and SGP).

"We are going to court. Universities start administrative law proceedings against unlawful cuts in start-up and incentive grants", declares UNL, quoting "structural cuts of half a billion euros to higher education and science".

According to UNL, the budget unilaterally breaks the Higher Education and Science Administrative Agreement…