Profiling Fund

Via the Profiling Fund, the universities offer specific students the opportunity to request financial support if they fall behind on their studies due to exceptional circumstances (such as illness, disability or sporting commitments).

These exceptional circumstances are as follows:
a) illness or pregnancy
b) physical, sensory or other disabilities
c) extenuating family circumstances
d) insufficient programme feasibility
e) the student is recognised by the Executive Board as a professional sportsman/woman
f) fulfilment of duties within the scope of an administrative position in a representative advisory body or student association

The Profiling Fund stems from the Improved Governance (Higher Education) Act (Wet versterking besturing). The institutional management has a great deal of freedom to determine the scale and duration of payments from the Profiling Fund. This enables the universities to offer tailor-made solutions in consultation with the representative advisory body. The allocation of funds from the Profiling Fund is therefore conducted and structured differently at each individual university. Discussion of this matter is conducted together with the representative advisory bodies. The representative advisory bodies have a right of consent to the content of the Profiling Fund.

On 20 January 2015, the minister announced to the Dutch Senate that monitoring would be conducted in relation to the Profiling Fund. The universities are happy to cooperate with this monitoring.