Scholarship for Frisian University College students at the University of Groningen/Campus Fryslân

The Province of Fryslân has set up a scholarship to encourage Frisian students to follow the broad Bachelor’s degree programme in Global Responsibility & Leadership at the University College of the University of Groningen (UG)/Campus Fryslân. School pupils from Fryslân who enrol in the programme can receive a three-year bursary that will cover some of their study costs. A good idea, was the conclusion of the Frisian Youth Panel in response to the widely supported motion tabled by D66 in the Provincial Council.

Sander de Rouwe from the Province of Fryslân says, ‘With the scholarship we hope to attract more Frisian students to university.’ De Rouwe subscribes to research by the Frisian Planning Office that shows that in proportion a large percentage of school leavers do not go to university after completing pre-university education. ‘The new UG Faculty is a great opportunity for Frisian school pupils to decide to go to university. We hope that the funding will give Frisian applicants the extra push that they need,’ he continues.

Encourage school leavers to go to university

The tuition fee for the University College is EUR 4,085 for Dutch students. This is higher than the statutory tuition fee because of the small-scale and personal teaching that the College provides. Dean of UG/Campus Fryslân Prof. Jouke de Vries says, ‘It’s fantastic that the Province of Fryslân is encouraging Frisian pupils to go to university. This scholarship will remove more of the barriers to higher education.’

The Frisian Youth Panel surveyed students in Leeuwarden. Would a scholarship convince them to enrol in University College Fryslân? It would help, they said, but overall they expect a good degree programme to cost something anyway.

Apply from 1 May

The scholarship is for students who have passed their secondary-school diploma in Fryslân and were living in Fryslân for at least two of their years at secondary school. They can receive a grant of EUR 750 in the first year (because of the expected government discount on the first-year tuition fee) and EUR 1,500 in the second and third years. A total of EUR 100,000 is available for the first group of students. Applications for the scholarship can be submitted to the Province of Fryslân from 1 May 2018.