A reform from the government MR/Les Engagés de Fa fédération Wallonie-Brussels indeed provides for a significant increase in registration fees, with a direct impact for a majority of students and their families.
Concretely, the classic tuition fee will increase to 1,194 euros per year, an increase of more than 40% for university students who until now paid a little more than 835 euros.
But the situation is even more striking in higher education and arts schools. Where the fees could vary between 175 and 836 euros, they will now be aligned with this same amount of 1,194 euros. For some students, this represents an increase of several hundred, or even more than 1,000 euros per year!
In total, more than half of students will be affected by this increase.
Fortunately, certain measures remain in place: scholarship students will continue not to pay school fees, and reduced amounts are provided for modest incomes. But for a large proportion of students, the bill will increase significantly.
Beyond the figures, the concrete consequences are already known. For many, this means more hours of student work to compensate. Less time to study. No more pressure. And for some, the prospect of having to give up pursuing studies.
Because the tuition fee is only part of the real cost of studies. You also have to take into account transport, equipment, internships, sometimes accommodation or even daily living costs such as food. For families who struggle to financially support their children, or those who have several dependent students, the equation quickly becomes untenable.
This reform marks a political turning point. For years, the choice was made, notably by the PS, to maintain accessible registration fees, considering higher education as an investment for society and for everyone. Allowing as many young people as possible to access studies promotes emancipation, employment and citizen participation.
And at the end of the day, the risk is clear: less time to study, more financial pressure, and for many, there will be nothing left but peanuts at the end of the month.
We reject this vision. Education must not become a luxury, it must remain a right. This is why the PS will continue to fight for a simple principle: equal access to education for everyone, regardless of portfolio!
