According to an estimate by Maastricht University earlier this year, nearly a thousand extra rooms would be needed at the start of the academic year. This target was not reached; ‘only’ 800 beds have been added over the summer (see box). “However, this now seems to be enough to prevent a student housing shortage,” says Maurice Evers, head of Maastricht Housing. “Although it’s always a waiting game, as the UM doesn’t keep track of who has or hasn’t found a room yet.”
Evers considers the fact that fewer people are registering on Maastricht Housing, the platform which lists all the available student accommodation in Maastricht and where a large proportion of students registers to find a room. “While in previous years, we always saw an increase in the number of registrants. It is an indication that there are currently fewer students looking.”
“As in previous years, we sent out emails and launched an Instagram campaign telling prospective students about the limited availability on the Dutch housing market and not to come to Maastricht without a room. This seems to have had an effect, and may even have put some people off considering Maastricht as an option. It’s also possible the political debates about limiting the number of international students and courses taught in English had an influence. It’s a combination of factors.”
Fewer applications
Other figures also suggest a lower number of new students. Some 3,200 students took part in the introduction week INKOM last week; significantly fewer than the 3,600 participants last year, despite there being 4,000 places available. Furthermore, this spring, the society of Dutch universities UNL counted about 2% fewer applications nationally. Although these are only preliminary figures, as a number of applicants will still drop out or applied to multiple degrees, they do show a clear trend.
It is still unclear whether there will actually be fewer new students at the UM: Koen Augustijn, a spokesperson, says there are no “reliable figures” yet. The university won’t be able to share “initial forecasts” until September.
Occupied rooms
Back to the housing situation. Whereas in previous years the UM aimed to add 500 extra rooms a year to prevent a housing shortage, in the spring of this year, that number was doubled. According to Evers, this is because of the number of “re-enrolments”: students who take longer to finish their degree and thus occupy a room for longer. “There are about 600 more than last year. They probably fell further behind in their studies than normal due to the covid pandemic.”
Students who are still searching for a room are in for a hard time, Evers warns. “This is an annually recurring problem: not all the graduates have left their accommodation yet, while new students are eager to move in. There’s almost nothing you can do about it. It is usually resolved by the beginning of October.”