The University of Twente has transitioned to full remote teaching for the rest of the academic year across all faculties. In particular, Non-EU students pay 7,000-14,000 euros per year for tuition. However, this figure takes into account the availability of resources including the facilities available to us, which during these two modules we lose access to.  The facilities, in particular, is the reason many families take out loans or spend their savings to pay for the tuition. Many students in addition work on the weekends and evenings to pay such fees.

The Problem:
While the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus is ultimately out of the control of the university or the staff, the cost of tuition from the university directly impacts the student body.

Because the last date of in-person instruction was around March 12th, 2020, and because many students will be completing programs online that are not officially offered as online programs by the University, the students of University of Twente hereby request the University to financial support all non-EU students the difference between the costs of in-person instruction and online instruction OR impose financial assistance on a larger scale for the international students affected.

It is ultimately not the responsibility of UT students, many of which are currently full-time students and thus are considered low-income earners, to bear the cost of the impact of the coronavirus on academic resources. The University of Twente is much better equipped to bear the financial burden than us students. However the students must help find a possible and reasonable solution for the University to support.

Possible solutions:
This can be done by reducing the fees of Non-EU students to those of the EU for the two modules. Alternatively, separate financial incentives can be provided, possibly by opening up loans to non-EU students or supporting with rent etc.