How much will that compulsory internship allowance be?

Internships are often a significant and compulsory part of a student's education, requiring them to work at an organisation or company for several months. However, students are not always compensated for this work in the Netherlands. "To be honest, I was shocked that whether you receive an internship allowance depends so much on the sector", said the new Minister of Education, Rianne Letschert, on Eva Jinek's talk show.

Only 42 per cent of students enrolled in vocational education received an internship allowance, according to a survey conducted two years ago. Among those enrolled in universities of applied sciences, the figure rises to 75 per cent. Research university students, such as those enrolled in Utrecht University, are paid in 65 per cent of compulsory internships and 91 per cent of voluntary internships.

By the summer, Letschert wants to send a bill to the House of Representatives that would make internship allowances mandatory. Students have been demanding such a bill for years, but right-wing political parties were particularly resistant to the idea.

But what should the minimum remuneration be? The previous cabinet was already working on this. Civil servants have proposed three ways to determine the amount, although they do not specify the amount. Ultimately, it will be up to politicians to make the decision. 

Scenario #1: A percentage of the minimum wage
Civil servants suggest that interns could be paid a percentage of the minimum wage. That seems like a straightforward solution, but which minimum wage should be used?

An adult aged 21 or older earns at least 14.71 euros gross per hour. If the internship allowance were 20 per cent of this, a full-time intern would receive over 500 euros a month. If the intern only works four days a week, which is not unusual, they would be paid around 400 euros.

There are advantages to determining the internship allowance this way. It would be a simple rule for employers, and if wages rise, so would the internship allowance. Politicians would no longer have to think about it.

But there are disadvantages to this option as well. The minimum youth wage applies to those under 21. If the government uses this as a base, older interns will earn more than younger interns. A 16-year-old earns 5 euros per hour, while a 19-year-old earns slightly less than 9 euros per hour.

This means that some people would earn considerably less than others. Some would earn less than 200 euros if this were the rule. Several local authorities already apply this principle, paying older interns more.

Scenario #2: The most common amount in collective labour agreements
Trade unions and employers make agreements about wages, further training and leave. They do this in collective labour agreements, which are often valid for one or two years. These agreements sometimes also contain compromises on internships. One could define the mandatory internship allowance by looking at what is already common practice in these collective labour agreements.

There are approximately seven hundred collective labour agreements in the Netherlands right now. In 2025, 122 collective labour agreements included a paragraph on internships, of which most set remuneration at 400 euros. Civil servants argue that one could choose that amount as the minimum.

A significant limitation of this option is that only one in five collective labour agreements currently specify an amount. So, this amount would not accurately reflect the labour market as a whole. Many organisations determine their allowances outside the collective labour agreement through company regulations. For example, supermarkets such as Jumbo and Dirk recently increased their allowances to 500 euros and 520 euros, respectively, even though this is not specified in the collective labour agreement.

Another disadvantage of this option is that, unlike the minimum wage, collective agreement amounts do not automatically keep pace with inflation.

Scenario #3: Average amount
The last suggestion is to consider the average internship remuneration practised today, or the median. In higher education, that's approximately 400 euros. Fifty percent of the students receive less than that, and the other half receive more. At the vocational level, that's 230 euros.

Which median would the minister choose? If the median for vocational education serves as the basis, then higher professional education and university students will be worse off.

Moreover, if one chooses this option, one would base the policy on the current situation, in which a significant proportion of interns receive little or no remuneration. And that's exactly what politicians aim to change.

What others want
MKB-Nederland, an organisation representing the interests of small and medium-sized companies, proposes that remuneration should increase in line with the intern's experience. A senior student would receive more than a first-year student, as their productivity would be higher.

That makes sense, but how does one implement this in practice? Degree programmes can be structured in all kinds of ways, with internships scheduled in earlier or later years. It says little about the knowledge and skills that the intern brings to the table.

Nevertheless, such a consideration apparently feels fair to the internship providers themselves. A notable example is the municipality of Bronckhorst, which employs approximately 300 people and offers an internship allowance of between 250 and 400 euros. The amount is determined in consultation with the personnel department and the internship supervisor, based on criteria such as year of study, the duration of the internship, and the nature of the work. What's more, during the internship, the allowance can be increased upon sufficient justification.

Too low
In any case, there is a gap between the official scenarios and students' wishes. The National Student Union and the FNV Young & United trade union are considering the income and expenditure of students who do not live with their parents. Based on this, they believe that a fair internship allowance should amount to 989 euros.

The National Student Association (ISO) and the CNV Jongeren trade union have lower expectations. They're considering the average income from a part-time job and thus aim for an internship allowance of 500-560 euros.

These amounts are higher than those resulting from the official exploration. The cabinet should therefore not expect students to applaud uncritically once the proposal is on the table.

Employers with high internship allowances
Nevertheless, protesting students have something to hold on to. Interns at central government agencies and affiliated organisations, such as the judiciary and the UWV, are currently paid 775 euros a month. Those working at the police and the provinces get around 700 euros a month.

In the healthcare sector, remuneration is regulated in many collective labour agreements. Interns at hospitals receive 550 euros monthly. There are also outliers in the business world: multinationals such as Heineken, Unilever and Henkel offer remuneration between 600 and 750 euros. The insurance company Nationale Nederlanden pays 650 euros. In the engineering sector, interns can earn up to 850 euros per month. Generous allowances are often seen as a good way to recruit new employees.

Legislation
However, some employers do not pay any allowance; they see internships as part of the studies. The minister and the House of Representatives must make some difficult assessments. What if internship providers lower their allowances, and everyone settles for the minimum? Not all students would benefit from that.

So, no matter how much Letschert wants to rush things, the bill will not be a foregone conclusion. There will be written questions and debates in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It could easily take until 2028 for the mandatory internship allowance to be implemented.