Strict controls ensure that Dutch Universities recruit serious students from outside of the EU

02.07.2014

Reasons to Study in Holland for Serious Students!

- Great economy, and possibility to stay and work after graduation

- Multicultural, tolerant and safe society with very low crime rates

- Excellent programmes guaranteed through accreditation

- High quality of life, services and infrastructure in the Netherlands

- Great affordable healthcare system

- Affordable study programmes, much cheaper than the UK for EU and non-EU students

- Possibility for non-EU students to work 10 hours a week next to their studies

- Most Dutch people speak English!

- Work experience / internships part of the programmes

- Plenty of personal tutoring and study support

- Support for learning Dutch will help employment chances

Study in the Netherlands | Study in Holland

Study in Holland | Study in the NetherlandsJust like the UK, the Netherlands welcomes students from around the world, and the Immigration office (IND) will generally process applications within two weeks – but students must ensure that they collect all the required documents on time, as Dutch Universities are subject to strict controls and checks with regard to non-EU student Visas, a current area of serious review for all their colleagues across the channel in the UK!

Last week visa-abuse scandals rocked the UK higher education sector, which saw 3 UK Universities have their license to recruit non-EU students suspended, together with 57 (unaccredited) private UK colleges, including the largest, the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF). Reports say that a major area of concern was attendance on courses and students working in full-time jobs, sometimes far from the actual location of their school, which in the UK is illegal for international students (at private colleges). However, the largest concern was institutes failing to pick up on “fake” TOEFL certificates, such as exposed by the BBC Panorama programme in February. Panorama reported on TOEFL testing centres in the UK that were being run by organized crime and “faking” results and certificates. This led to TOEFL being banned in the UK as an acceptable English certificate.

In the Netherlands, only accredited Research Universities and Universities of Applied Science are permitted to recruit non-EU (visa requiring) students, and this is governed by the Code of Conduct for International Students in the Netherlands, and agreements with the Immigration Service (IND). Most of these Universities are public institutes, such as Wageningen University, Leiden University, Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences, Stenden, etc and with non-EU student numbers ranging from three to twelve hundred students. There are very few private higher education institutes in the Netherlands recruiting international students to study in Holland, including Nyenrode Business University, Webster University and WUAS. Both public and privately funded institutions in the Netherlands are treated in the same way. There are currently 74 institutes on the list of the Code of Conduct.

Institutes abiding by the code must adhere to strict English language requirements (IELTS or TOEFL, or proven previous study in English) as well as monitoring each student’s study progress carefully. Non-EU students in the Netherlands must achieve 50% of their European Credits (allocated to the study programme) each year. In reality this means that they must achieve 30 EC credits in order to be allowed to stay on the accredited Bachelor of Master programme.

Study in Holland | Study in the Netherlands

Any student following a foundation or preparation programme must achieve the full credits and pass the English examination within a year, otherwise they must leave the country. For instance, a students with IELTS 5 is permitted to follow a 1 year foundation programme in order to gain IELTS 6, the lowest English requirement for a Bachelor programme. If the student fails to achieve this, his or her visa will be revoked.

The institutes themselves arrange the study visa through the IND’s Modern Migration Policy and are held to account through regular ministry inspections, which check to make sure that diploma verification has been correctly administered, that finance has been proven, and that the English language is of a required standard. The IND will also regularly check that the University has carefully monitored study progress and de-registered students who fail to achieve the minimum study credits.

WUP 2/7/2014

©WUAS Press

by James Wittenborg

References

UK Suspensions and TOEFL Report

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26024375 (Panorama)

Dutch Code of Conduct and Study in Holland

http://www.internationalstudy.nl/en/institutions (Code of Conduct)

http://www.studyinholland.nl/about-holland (Nuffic)

Reference for students (list of suspended Universities and Colleges)

Universities
Glyndwr University: Tier 4 licence suspended; 
 University of West London: unable to sponsor new students (assigned zero 
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) 
 University of Bedfordshire: unable to sponsor new students (assigned zero 
Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies). 
 
Colleges
1. Alpha College 
2. Alpha Meridian College 
3. APS Computer Solutions TA Pitman Training Centre 
4. Birmingham Institute of Education Training and Technology 
5. Blake Hall College 
6. Bloomsbury International UK 
7. Bradford College of Management 
8. Bradford Metropolitan College 
9. Bristol College of Accountancy 
10. Britain College 
11. Central College London 
12. Central College of Studies 
 
 
 
13. Central Cranbrook College 14. Citizen 2000 Education Institute
15. City of London Academy
16. College of Advanced Studies 
17. College of East London 
18. College of Excellence 
19. Cranford College 
20. Essex College 
21. Eynsford College 
22. FBT (Finance Business Training) 
23. Forbes Graduate School 
24. Hammersmith Management College 
25. Helios International College
26. IIM Bedford 
27. Interlink College of Technology & Business Studies 
28. Katherine & Kings College of London 
29. Kinnaird College 
30. LIT LON Ltd 
31. London Academy of Management and Business 
32. London College of Business Management and Computing Studies 
33. London College of Finance and Accounting 
34. London Corporate College 
35. London Educators Ltd 
 
36. London Premier College 
37. London Regal College 
38. London School of Advanced Studies 
39. London School of Marketing t/a LS Business School 
40. London School of Technology 
41. London St Andrews College 
42. LSBF (London School of Business and Finance) 
43. Manchester College of Management Sciences 
44. Manchester International College (International Learning Centre) 
45. Manchester Trinity 
46. Midlands Academy of Business and Technology 
47. North West College Reading 
48. Queensbury College 
49. Shakespeare College 
50. South London College 
51. Stanfords College UK Ltd 
52. Studio Cambridge 
53. Superior College London 
54. UK Business Academy 
55. UK Vocational Training College t/a UK CAT 
56. West George College 
57. West London Business College 
 This is the latest list as announced on 24 June and is subject to change