Everywhere in Europe, teachers ring the alarm bell. More and more female university students are turning towards prostitution to pay for their studies. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that stripping and giving lapdances in shady bars is something that’s usually associated with desperate and less-educated woman. But these are girls that just started their degree in English literature, are studying for their masters in international politics or completing their doctorate in medicine. They are smart, bright young woman. Call girls.

Of course, there is a system of grants or long-term loans but as all of you who have applied for a scholarship before will agree, they are hard to get and the criteria is very strict. Meanwhile tuition fees are going through the roof. In Britain you pay around £3000, in Spain up to €4000, in the Netherlands about €2000. If you add living expenses, public transport, books etc., you will not be surprised that many students are having trouble to make ends meet. So they see prostitution as a fast way to make good money. After all, why go work in McDonalds or H&M for €10 an hour if you can make up to €1000 a night as a luxurious call girl?

It reminds us of Belle Du Jour, the author of the bestseller ‘Diary of a London Call Girl’. For years her identity was one of the best kept secrets in England, but last year a journalist from the Sunday Times discovered that her real name is Brooke Magnanti, and that she worked as a prostitute while writing her PhD thesis. Right now she is a researcher at Bristol University, and she made a small fortune out of her life story.

Most girls stick to their plan and step out of the business as soon as they have their degree. They don’t talk to anybody about it, and say it would ruin their lives if their families or people at the university ever found out. But is there really no other option? It is now up to the European Union to take action and make sure all students have to same right to education, independent of which country they live in. In Germany and Belgium for example, university is nearly for free and the scholarship system is well structured.

Thank god for Erasmus! The Universidad de Sevilla is a gorgeous building near the city centre, surrounded by great bars and student cafés where they serve the most delicious tapas. Apply for a sunny and unforgettable Erasmus experience in Spain, rent the best apartments in Seville and enjoy the Mediterranean way of life.