Antwerp Fashion Students Protest Tuition Hikes with Runway Signs
During the finale of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp's student fashion show at the first Antwerp Fashion Festival in 2026, models and graduates carried signs reading 'Who can pay can stay' in protest against planned tuition fee increases. The Flemish government's policy to reduce public funding for non-EEA students forces the Academy to raise fees: current non-EU students will pay €13,500, while new or returning students may face up to €25,000, up from the original €7,000–€8,000. The Academy, ranked fourth globally by BoF for both bachelor's and master's programs and listed among Vogue Business's top ten fashion schools of 2026, has historically been an affordable, high-quality institution. Around 20% of the student body (30% in fashion) comes from outside the EEA. The protest highlights concerns that the fee hike will undermine the school's radical, conceptual, and international character, which has produced renowned designers like Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Ann Demeulemeester. Students argue that the change will shift the school from finding talent to finding money, threatening the diverse creative collisions that define Antwerp's fashion scene.
Key facts
- Protest signs reading 'Who can pay can stay' appeared at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp fashion show during the first Antwerp Fashion Festival in 2026.
- Tuition fees for non-EU students will rise to €13,500 for current students and up to €25,000 for new or returning students, from the original €7,000–€8,000.
- The fee increase is a result of Flemish government policy reducing public funding for non-EEA students.
- The Royal Academy is ranked fourth globally by BoF for both bachelor's and master's fashion programs.
- Vogue Business listed the Academy among the top ten fashion schools of 2026.
- Approximately 20% of the student body (30% in fashion) comes from outside the EEA.
- Notable alumni include Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Ann Demeulemeester of the Antwerp Six.
- Comparatively, tuition at Central Saint Martins is around €35,000–€35,500 per year, and at Parsons about €55,500.
- The protest was organized by students, not the Academy, which stated the fee hike is not its own decision.
- The signs were carried during the finale of the runway show, described as joyful but with a serious message.
Entities
Artists
- Dries Van Noten
- Walter Van Beirendonck
- Ann Demeulemeester
Institutions
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
- Royal Conservatory
- Antwerp Fashion Festival
- Central Saint Martins
- Parsons School of Design
- BoF
- Vogue Business
Locations
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States