Study delays are often caused by illnesses or part-time jobs

Many students take longer than usual to complete their studies. Only one in three students in the universities of applied sciences obtains a bachelor's degree within four years. The figures are similar at research universities such as UU, where bachelor's programmes last three years.

Dutch politicians would like as many students as possible to graduate on time. Programmes can expel first-year students who do not earn enough credits, and there has been a heated discussion in recent years about whether the minimum number of credits required should be raised. The Schoof cabinet also tried to introduce a fine for students who take longer than one additional year to graduate, but that proposal was scrapped after a public outcry.

Men are more likely to fall behind
Why do some students need more time to complete their studies? The student organisation ISO suspected that they might have a good reason for it, so it asked the research agency ResearchNed to look into it.

It's widely known that men are more likely to fall behind than women, as are students with a migrant background and students with a part-time job. Their parents' income level also plays a role.

Over 7,500 students were surveyed, of whom 37 per cent were behind schedule. 

Illness, part-time jobs, motivation
A total of 22 per cent of respondents chose “illness” as the main reason for the delay. 19 per cent chose “part-time job”. Almost as many students cited a lack of motivation. The respondents could choose up to three options, so these answers may overlap.

They were also given the option to answer this as an open-ended question (“other”). This was the most popular option, chosen by 31 per cent of those surveyed. However, their answers were not included in the survey results. 

Less frequent reasons included “I want to enjoy student life for longer” and “I'm too young to start working”, “I chose the wrong programme”, and “the courses are too difficult”.

Sometimes students consciously choose to delay their graduation. Those who become active in a student or study association, for example. Other students apparently made a conscious decision to choose a difficult programme, accepting that they would graduate later. This applies to 20 per cent of the delayed students who said their programme was “too difficult”.

ISO feels vindicated
Student organisation ISO feels vindicated by the results. According to chair Sarah Evink, the survey confirms that students often have good reasons for taking a bit longer to graduate. Study delays have nothing to do with partying too hard, she sneers.

"If politicians consider study delays such a big problem, maybe they should ask students how they could help them. Let's put an end to pseudo-solutions such as sending students away after the first year because they haven't earned enough credits." 

ISO wants the minimum number of credits required in the first year not to be “binding”, but rather just a target. This would allow students with poor results to decide for themselves whether to continue in the programme or switch to another. In addition, ISO advocates a higher basic student grant, so that students are less dependent on part-time jobs.