EUOBSERVER / FOCUS - As more and more young Europeans study in member states other than their own, this has serious implications for how governments manage their social assistance for students. Next month, in a keenly awaited opinion, the European Court of Justice, will give a preliminary answer to a key question: To what extent do foreign students have the right to be treated equally to national students. The ruling will have implications for the EU member states' grant systems for education The answer - the Advocate General's opinion is generally followed in the final judgement by the court - is set to a large extent to determine whether member states can continue with generous educational grants and whether they can prevent what is known as scholarship tourism. The particular case concerns a German student Jaqueline Foerster who went to study in the Netherlands in 2000. Ms Foerster did the minimum number of hours of work in order to be eligible for a Dutch grant - one of the criteria in the Netherlands is that foreign students need to work. But the Dutch scholarship board, which initially granted the student aid to her, in 2005 demanded a partial refund because Ms Foerster had not worked in the second half of 2003.
EUOBSERVER / FOCUS - As more and more young Europeans study in member states other than their own, this has serious implications for how governments manage their social assistance for students.
Next month, in a keenly awaited opinion, the European Court of Justice, will give a preliminary answer to a key question: To what extent do foreign students have the right to be treated equally to national students.
The ruling will have implications for the EU member states' grant systems for education
The answer - the Advocate General's opinion is generally followed in the final judgement by the court - is set to a large extent to determine whether member states can continue with generous educational grants and whether they can prevent what is known as scholarship tourism.
The particular case concerns a German student Jaqueline Foerster who went to study in the Netherlands in 2000.
Ms Foerster did the minimum number of hours of work in order to be eligible for a Dutch grant - one of the criteria in the Netherlands is that foreign students need to work. But the Dutch scholarship board, which initially granted the student aid to her, in 2005 demanded a partial refund because Ms Foerster had not worked in the second half of 2003.
