Freely accessible, inclusive education determines the welfare of students dealing with a support issue. Due to the coronavirus crisis, universities have had to quickly switch to digital teaching and distance support and guidance. This has resulted in a number of fine initiatives. This also involved gaining experience with the obstacles encountered related to student welfare.

On 16 July, the National Student Welfare Working Group published the Student Welfare Guideline for the coronavirus era (in Dutch). This working group includes representatives from VSNU, the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Hogescholen), the University of Humanistic Studies, the Dutch National Students Association (ISO), the Dutch National Student Union (LSVb), ECIO (expert centre for inclusive education) and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The guideline is intended to provide practical support to educational institutions by providing inspiring examples and points for attention related to accessible education, with an eye to the coming academic year 2020-2021 and the return to face-to-face teaching in September 2020.

With this guideline, the National Student Welfare Working Group emphasises the importance of tailoring information and services provided to students in higher education who are dealing with a support issue, to allow them to find their own way and assume personal responsibility.

On 17 August, Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven (Education, Culture and Science) sent the Student Welfare Guideline to the Dutch House of Representatives.