The binding study advice is said to cause stress for students. Photo: shutterstock The binding study advice (BSA) refers to the number of credits a first-year student must achieve in order to start the second year. With a 36 ECTS threshold, WUR’s BSA is the lowest of all Dutch Universities. Due to the corona crisis and the delay it may cause for some students, the threshold was lowered to 30 in March 2020. This and other corona-related adjustments to the BSA requirements have now been extended to include the 2020-2021 academic year.
The other measures are: first-year students who achieve between 24 and 29 ECTS are given a provisionary BSA, which allows them until the end of the second year to obtain the number of credits required for their BSA. First-year students with fewer than 24 credits are given a negative binding study advice, which means they must abandon their studies. However, it is possible to contest this ruling with the examination board, which will include ‘corona-related circumstances’ in their decision.
