03 - Netherlands - Specific legislative framework
The Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) came into force in 1993. It provided a single statutory
framework for university education wetenschappelijk onderwijs, higher professional education hoger
beroepsonderwijsand the Open University open universiteit, which had previously been governed by
the University Education Act (WWO), the Higher Professional Education Act (WHBO) and the Open
University Act (WOU) respectively. There is also the Student Finance Act 2000 (WSF 2000).
The Higher Education and Research Act contains general provisions applicable to the entire higher
education sector. It also includes:
provisions that apply specifically to higher professional education, the universities or the Open
University. These relate to the structure of courses and institutions;
parameters relating to the organisation of teaching, such as entry requirements with regard to
previous education, and study loads;
regulations concerning examinations, students, participation in decision-making, staff, planning
and funding;
provisions governing cooperation between institutions.
The main implementing regulations pertaining to higher education are the Funding Decree and the
Implementation Decree. The Funding Decree regulates the central government grant to publicly and
privately run institutions of higher professional education ("hogescholen") and universities, the Open
University of the Netherlands and the teaching hospitals. The Implementation Decree contains more
detailed regulations on the functioning of higher education.
The Quality and Practicability Act of 1996 (amending the Higher Education and Research Act) was
based on agreements reached with the universities, higher professional education institutions and
student organisations on a number of measures to improve the quality and "practicability" of higher
education courses. These included changes to the students’ charter, which sets out the rights and
obligations of students, and improved arrangements for payments to students who, owing to special
circumstances, have not completed their studies but are no longer eligible for student support.
Students in this situation are entitled to payment from a special fund set up for this purpose by the
institution.
CROHO
The Information Management Group (IBG) keeps records of all programmes of study run by
government-funded and approved universities and higher professional education institutions, and postinitial
master’s degree courses run by legal persons with full legal competence as specified of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW). The data are published as a systematically
arranged collection in the Central Register of Higher Education Study Programmes (CROHO). To be
registered, new study programmes must be accredited by the Netherlands-Flanders
Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). Government-funded initial programmes must also fulfil efficiency
criteria set by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science or, in the case of agricultural and
environmental studies, by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
Under the provisions of the Higher Education and Research Act, institutions of higher education may
register programmes in the CROHO. Registration in the system is a condition for:
government funding of individual courses;
determining eligibility for student finance;
awarding degrees.
There is a separate category for approved institutions, which do not receive government funding for
courses entered in the register but are entitled by law to award certificates and degrees. Full-time and
dual-course students at these approved institutions are eligible for student support. The IBG is
responsible for establishing, managing and publicising the register and supplying information from it.
The Central Register of Higher Education Enrolment (CRIHO), which contains the enrolment details of
all students in higher education, is also managed by the IBG. The funding for universities and HBOs is
based on these enrolment details.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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