Since 2019, the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) has received extra money, just like other higher educational institutions, to invest in the quality of the education. The money has become available as a result of the abolition of the basic student grant and the way in which it is spent has now been laid down in the Quality agreements.

Various projects have been developed within the AHK for this money to be spent on, both by the academies separately and on cross-academy projects. The projects vary widely and focus, for example, on language skills, diversity or entrepreneurship. A good example is the investment in the MarkerSpace at the Marineterrein site in Amsterdam, where students can now work with 3D printers, virtual reality, laser cutting machines and CNC milling machines.

Moreover, the plans tie in with the six themes from the sector agreements on the basis of which the Quality agreements are assessed:

• suitable and good educational facilities;
• more and better supervision of students;
• further professionalisation of lecturers/teachers (quality of lecturers);
• more intensive and small-scale teaching (intensity of teaching);
• study success, including transfer rate, accessibility and equal opportunities;
• educational differentiation, including talent development within and outside the study.

On 1 April 2020, it was announced that the Minister of Education, Culture and Science has adopted the recommendations for the plans from the quality agreements; this means that the AHK will receive the money from the Ministry. The amounts will be awarded up to and including 31 December 2024. In the meantime, the AHK will continue to report to the ministry in the interim period about the progress of the projects. In addition, the quality agreements will be regularly monitored, evaluated and adjusted. Participation in decision-making will also play a major role.