In these difficult times, in which most students have lost their jobs and incomes, it is important to help each other out and to be considerate to one another. Because many students work in hospitality and the cultural sector, an important part of their income has dissappeared because of the corona measures and paying rent is at stake. ASVA calls for private landlords and housing corporations to offer students the possibility of delayed payment or partial remission and to cut extra costs.
Emma Hilde Fuchs, chair of the ASVA Student union: “Right now, with digital education, an insecure future and growing loneliness due to social distancing, students have enough troubles as it is. Stress about not being able to pay the rent should not add up to that.”
International students who have been forced to go home, have been able to cancel their rent immediately with housing corporations De Key and DUWO. ASVA calls for XIOR to do the same. The housing player charges students three months worth of rent, plus a rediculously high administration fee.
ASVA does not consider the ‘reimbursement’ the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science offers – taking out extra loans – a solution to the financial trouble many students are experiencing. The sky-high debts that students are building, should not be increased by the current crisis. Visit www.nietmijnschuld.nl (in Dutch) and sign our petition to stop the student loan scheme.
For editors: requests for information or interviews can be directed to Jamie van den Berg via jamie@asva.nl or 06 53 30 83 73. There is also more information to find on www.asva.nl.