The Long-term Agreement in brief

In essence, the Long-term Agreement aims to:

• strengthen the referring and binding function of the first year of Bachelor’s study,
• reduce student dropouts during the second and third years of Bachelor’s study, from 15% in 2007 to 6% 2011;
• ensure that more students earn their Bachelor's degree within four years: at least 70% of students in the 2010 cohort who re-register for their study programmes after the first year should earn their degrees within four years;
• raise the total of students doing more than a standard study programme – e.g. an honours programme – by 10% by 2014.

The Ministry will allocate additional funds for the promotion of study success on an initial conditional basis. In 2011 the Ministry will determine whether the universities have achieved their targets and, subsequently, whether to permanently allocate the additional funds.