Overview
- The cabinet’s proposal redesigns MBO financing so regions with falling student numbers receive structurally more funding while the overall national pot stays the same.
- The new model guarantees every MBO a differentiated fixed base grant to reduce reliance on student counts and to lower competition between schools.
- The redistribution means 41 institutions will lose funding under the plan and three face the maximum permitted transition loss of about 4 percent; transition rules are meant to limit short-term disruption.
- A one-off €200 million fund will reward regional and supra-regional cooperation plans, and underage MBO students will receive free learning materials from 2029 while laptops are excluded for cost reasons.
- Stakeholders welcome the move for preserving local access but warn of risks to costly technical programs, and temporary bridging money already sent to Groningen and Drenthe will cover the gap until the new system begins in 2029.