Cases of hardship and compensation for disadvantages
You have the right to study with equal opportunities and without discrimination. To this end, there are various regulations/instruments to avoid unreasonable hardship during admission, and you should also be able to complete coursework and examinations in a form adapted to your limitations.
Cases of hardship
The Lower Saxony Higher Education Admission Act (NHZG) stipulates that a small number of study places can be awarded to applicants for whom non-admission to the desired degree programme would mean exceptional hardship. - Exceptional hardship is deemed to exist if there are special personal reasons, e.g. health reasons, which make it absolutely necessary to start the degree programme immediately, i.e. a delay in starting the degree programme is unreasonable. In each degree programme, up to two percent of study places are available for these hardship cases.
Such an application can be considered, for example, in the case of an illness which, by its nature, can only lead to a deterioration in health (e.g. progressive blindness or extreme restriction of movement). This must be substantiated by the relevant specialist medical report.
The informal application must be submitted to the Enrolment Office by the deadline (15 July for the winter semester/15 January for the summer semester), stating the applicant number from the online application procedure.
Information on cases of hardship can be found on page 2 of the online application guide (PDF, 191.64 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible).
Compensation for disadvantages
The instrument of compensation for disadvantages enables you to complete coursework and examinations in a form, time or manner that suits you. This depends on the nature or effects of your disability and your degree programme. Compensation for disadvantages is granted on an individual and situational basis and is therefore a matter for negotiation between you and the faculty. The possibilities are as varied as people, their illnesses and their effects are different.
Please submit this (usually informal) application in good time (enclosing a specialist medical report describing the effects of your illness; a diagnosis does not have to be included) and not just on the eve of the examination. It is of course not possible to claim a compensation at a later date. Please also bear in mind that not everything you want can be granted; the faculty must ensure that the core of the study and examination work to be performed remains intact and comparable. The addressee of this application is the respective examination board of your faculty.
Important to know: The examination board is subject to a duty of confidentiality - there is of course no reference to compensation for disadvantages in the transcript.
You can find information on compensation for disadvantages under the following link:
ZOIS-Wiki-Nachteilsausgleich (external link, opens in a new window)
The following flyer also provides further information:
FlyerStudying_disability_digital (PDF, 588.28 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible)
If you have any questions on this topic, please contact me/us.
Form for applying for (PDF, 154.93 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible) compensation for disadvantages (PDF, 154.93 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible)
You can find a comparable form for applying for compensation for disadvantages related to caring responsibilities on the website of the Equal Opportunities Office (link follows).
Information sheet on the forms (PDF, 122.73 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible)
If you cannot study with full vigour:
If, despite all your efforts and any compensation for disadvantages, you cannot avoid (temporarily) interrupting your studies, please note the following information: Information sheet (PDF, 130.45 KB) (opens in a new window), (not accessible)
Limits of the counselling
The representative does not provide legal advice.
She may not intervene in ongoing administrative or court proceedings and has no authority to issue instructions to the university. Therefore, she cannot instruct the university to change or make certain decisions, but can ask for a re-examination of the facts in individual cases.
Furthermore, the representative herself does not have access to funding that can be used to support projects or individuals.