Dutch universities are bracing for significant austerity measures following the Dutch Senate’s approval of €1.2 billion in budget cuts for higher education and research. The cuts, approved in April, are already impacting students and staff, leading to concerns about the quality and accessibility of education.

The University of Groningen (RUG) is among the institutions anticipating the effects of these cuts. While the university has implemented measures like tighter control over vacancies and deferred real estate expenses, it has not yet disclosed specific program cuts or layoffs.

Students and staff at RUG report experiencing the consequences of the budget cuts already. These include reduced professor availability, longer assignment grading times, and faculty hours being cut. Organize the RUG (OtR), a grassroots student and staff movement, warns of a “deep, structural crisis” and points to a projected €23.6 million deficit in 2025 alone, with total savings of up to €80 million needed by 2030.

OtR claims that the university is already experiencing a “hollowing-out” of Dutch higher education. The group anticipates larger class sizes, diminished interaction with teaching staff, and a narrowing of degree options, particularly in the humanities and smaller fields. They also express concern that national policies aimed at reducing internationalization could undermine the diversity and global relevance of Dutch higher education.

Across the Netherlands, other universities are also taking action. Utrecht University is cutting six full academic programs, the University of Twente has announced 63 job losses, and University College Roosevelt is reducing its staff by a quarter. The Open University plans to let go of around 65 employees. At RUG, hiring freezes, contract non-renewals, and disappearing faculty perks are reportedly underway.

OtR has also criticized the university’s internal processes, citing a lack of transparency in the working groups tasked with exploring cost-saving measures. The group says early-career academics are especially vulnerable, with the loss of national research grants and starter incentives threatening a generation of scholars. Despite protests and warnings, resistance to the cuts continues.