Research shows: binding study advice does not lead to academic success
The binding study advice (BSA) has mainly drawbacks. This is shown by research conducted by Sander de Vries (VU). The BSA was intended to act as an incentive for students, but this does not appear to be the case. In fact, it actually reduces the likelihood of students obtaining a university degree and does not shorten the duration of their studies. The UvA is working on a pilot scheme involving non-binding study advice.
It has long been claimed that the binding study-advice (BSA) would lead to greater academic success. However, new research by economist Sander de Vries of VU University Amsterdam, which compared programmes with and without the BSA, suggests otherwise. The BSA does not lead to more students graduating, nor does it reduce the number of students taking longer to complete their studies. In fact, the likelihood of a student eventually obtaining a university degree actually fell slightly, following the introduction of the BSA.
In programmes with a BSA, there were more dropouts in the first year, but of those extra dropouts, around half would have completed the programme had there been no BSA. Nor does the BSA help to reduce the number of students taking longer to graduate – the research shows that it has no effect on the average duration of enrolment. Furthermore, students who switched programmes after failing the BSA did not perform any better in their new programme.
As De Vries himself writes: “The results show that students who drop out due to the BSA are not necessarily weak students, and that it is not clear that they will perform better in a different programme.”
The binding study advice (BSA) has long been controversial. Students who have not earned enough credits after the first year may be expelled from the programme. On the one hand, the BSA serves as a stick to encourage students to show commitment and take their studies seriously; on the other hand, it has a selective function: by excluding underperforming students, they would switch to programmes that suit them better. The BSA is a frequent topic of debate: initially, universities were against it and the government in favour; later, this was reversed, and the umbrella organisation Universities of the Netherlands stated that the BSA is indeed beneficial for students and student success.
Pilot
Regarding the study, the press office states: “The study was published very recently. We will examine it in more detail and will incorporate the findings into further discussions about the BSA, including within the UNL context.” In addition, the Faculty of Humanities is working on setting up a pilot scheme involving a non-binding study recommendation, which is expected to start in the 2027–2028 academic year.
Reduced standard
At the UvA, the BSA norm lies between 42 and 48 credits. In 2023, it briefly looked as though the BSA would be reduced to 30 EC, thanks to the then Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf. Universities were then able to choose whether to reduce it to 30 EC or to abolish the BSA altogether. The UvA opted at the time to retain the reduced standard. The then Vice-Chancellor Peter-Paul Verbeek wrote at the time: “Students experience high workloads and stress. That concerns us. That is precisely why we are sticking to the reduced BSA. In this way, we encourage students to make an effort from the very start of their studies.” When the government fell, this plan was never taken up again, and so “the UvA still applies a credit requirement of 42–48 ECTS for the BSA at the end of year 1, with an exception for small-scale and intensive programmes,” a spokesperson said when asked.
