Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses

Help every step of the way – successfully completing your degree program

In order to allow inclusion, participation and equal opportunities among students, FAU offers consultations for students with disabilities and chronic diseases.

FAU’s Liaison Officer for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses is the person anyone interested in studying who has a disability or chronic illness should contact to discuss all matters relating to studying at FAU (admission to the degree program, accessibility, examinations).

Consultations are confidential.

Further information is available below followed by a list of links to various internal and external advisory offices.

Compensation for disadvantages during examinations

When at university, compensation for disadvantages are measures taken to compensate for any difficulties caused by your disability during your studies and in examinations. They are always tailored individually to each specific case and are not allocated on a “one size fits all” basis. They depend, for example, on the extent of the disability and the degree program studied.

Compensation for disadvantages does not entail any advantages. The achievement goals stipulated in the degree program and examination regulations remain the same.

Students with disabilities and/or chronic diseases are entitled to compensation for disadvantages, but not necessarily in the form they would like.

In order to apply for compensation for disadvantages, students must have a disability and/or chronic illness as defined in Section 3 of the German Federal Act on Equality for People with Disabilities (Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz, BGG):

Disability: “Persons are considered to have a disability if it is highly probable that their physical or intellectual ability or mental health will deviate from that which is generally expected for their age for a period of more than six months, thereby affecting their ability to participate in society.”
Chronic illness: “An illness is defined as being serious and chronic if it has to be treated by a doctor at least once every quarter for a period of one year or longer.”
Pregnancy: There is no need for compensation for disadvantages in the event of a pregnancy. If you have any questions relating to examinations, please contact the Examinations Office directly. Further information and advice

The application process

Please note that different rules apply for State Examinations.

How to apply for compensation for disadvantages at FAU

First steps

Provide a brief overview of your case in an email to beeintraechtigt-studieren@fau.de. We will arrange a consultation to clarify which type of compensation for disadvantages is required.

After the appointment, you should send a currently valid medical certificate from a medical specialist as a pdf scan to beeintraechtigt-studieren@fau.de. We do not require any originals!

A medical certificate must include the following:

Diagnosis or at least symptoms (and expected duration)
Effects on studying and examinations
Doctor’s recommendation for compensation for disadvantages

Letter of recommendation for compensation for disadvantages

You receive an email from us with a letter of recommendation for compensation for disadvantages and your medical certificate as an attachment, which you should then forward to the Examinations Office (you will receive the contact details from us). In the text of the email you should write: “Hiermit beantrage ich einen Nachteilsausgleich gemäß dem Empfehlungsschreiben im Anhang” (I would hereby like to apply for compensation for disadvantages pursuant to the letter of recommendation attached).

Case analysis and notification

The Examinations Committee at your faculty checks your case. Once it has been checked, the Examinations Committee will send you an official notification of the compensation for disadvantages by post.

Please submit this notification to the examiner at least one week before the examination in order for the measures to be implemented.

FAQ on compensation for disadvantages in examinations

Please contact beeintraechtigt-studieren@fau.de in good time. Ideally as soon as you start university or at the beginning of the semester.

Please bear in mind that the Examinations Committee responsible has to check and approve your application for compensation for disadvantages and the examiner must plan for the approved measures (e.g. providing a separate examination room). If an application is submitted at too short notice for the Examinations Committee to grant its approval or for the approved measures to be implemented, you must sit the examination in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the examination regulations.

It is up to you to inform the examiner after registering for the examination, but at the latest one week before each examination, that you have been granted compensation for disadvantages and what you need in order to take the examination in accordance with the terms of your compensation for disadvantages.

All you need to submit is the final notification of compensation for disadvantages (without your letter of recommendation and medical certificate). This does not include a diagnosis.

Compensation for disadvantages remains valid for the duration of your degree program at the longest, for example until such time as you complete your Bachelor’s degree program. If you decide to continue your studies and take a Master’s degree, you must reapply for the compensation of disadvantages.

For some illnesses, it is necessary that the doctor includes a date on the medical certificate after which they would recommend reassessing the restrictions. Accordingly, the compensation for disadvantages is only valid until this date. At the end of the day, it is the Examinations Committee that decides on the duration of the compensation for disadvantages.

The compensation for disadvantages applies to all university examinations at FAU, including those at the Language Centre and those during taster courses. Compensation for disadvantages issued by FAU is usually also accepted by the Virtual University of Bavaria (vhb).

Extension of the working time in course and examination achievements that have a set time limit (e.g. written examinations, written assignments and final theses)
Replacing oral with written achievements and vice versa, if the acquisition of the relevant skills can be proven via another type of examination.
Permission to use technical aids in written or oral examinations (e.g. laptop, magnifying glass)
Taking the examination in a separate room
Extension to intervals between individual examinations
Amendments to the rules for placements and excursions

Depending on the individual case and certificates available, other solutions are also plausible.

No, unlike in schools, compensation for disadvantages is not stated on your final degree certificate.

We treat your matter with confidence. In the first instance only those responsible for students with a disability can access your documents. In the next stage (if you decide to apply for compensation for disadvantages after the consultation), then also the Examinations Office and the Examinations Committee at your faculty.

In the case of temporary restrictions, such as if you have broken the hand you write with. In this case, you can provide notification of illness by submitting a doctor’s certificate. Please contact the Examinations Office directly. If you decide to take part in the examination, the regular examination conditions will apply. It is not possible to receive compensation for disadvantages. No health-related restrictions can be taken into consideration after the examination.
If it is necessary to change the room for an accessible room. Please contact the Examinations Office directly.
In the case of pregnancy: Please contact the Examinations Office directly if you have any examination-related questions. Further information and advice: https://www.fau.eu/education/advice-and-services/support-services/pregnancy-and-maternity-protection-while-at-university/
You can apply for an extension to the longest possible duration of studies or the preliminary phase (GOP) directly using the relevant forms, there is no need to apply for compensation for disadvantages.

You must file an application for compensation for disadvantages with the relevant ministries. The procedures and deadlines vary. We are happy to provide advice, if so requested.

Law: Submit an informal application for compensation for disadvantages to the state judicial examinations office (Landesjustizprüfungsamt): https://www.justiz.bayern.de/landesjustizpruefungsamt/ansprechpartner/
Teaching: Send a signed application for compensation for disadvantages directly to the examinations office of the Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts.Address: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Unterricht und Kultus – Prüfungsamt, Salvatorstraße 2, 80333 München. The examinations office of the Bavarian State Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts is responsible for State Examinations and the Examinations Office of FAU for module examinations, following the procedure for granting compensation for disadvantages that is in place at FAU.
Medicine/Dentistry: To apply for compensation for disadvantages, please contact the state examination office for medicine, pharmacy and psychotherapy: landespruefungsamt@reg-ob.bayern.de
Pharmacy: To apply for compensation for disadvantages, please contact the state examination office for medicine, pharmacy and psychotherapy: landespruefungsamt@reg-ob.bayern.de

Further information

If you require assistance during your studies – such as a reader, assistant or sign language interpreter – you can apply for the costs of these to be covered by the regional social welfare authorities. The district authorities of Middle Franconia in Ansbach are responsible for students at FAU. If you do not receive funding from the district authorities, you can also apply to the Dr.-Willi-Rebelein-Stiftung in Nuremberg.

Students with a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung – GdB) assessed as at least 70 percent can submit an application for special consideration when applying for a place in Student Services accommodation. There are six places in FAU student accommodation at FAU Campus Erlangen (South) for students with limited mobility.

During the application procedure on hochschulstart.de and at FAU, there are a few additional things to take into account. If places for your chosen subject are allocated through a selection process, you may apply for compensation for disadvantages or special consideration due to a disability. You can ensure that you are admitted to study in your chosen location by submitting a special application called an Ortsbindungsantrag. In some cases, applicants with a chronic illness can also apply for these special considerations. If you wish to make an application, please seek advice beforehand.

FAU has a large number of old buildings, not all of which are fully accessible yet. The University is working towards making its buildings accessible, but it will take time. Please do not hesitate to contact the FAU Disability Liaison Officer if you have difficulties getting to your destination, such as your lecture theater or an office.

Steps to improve accessibility at FAU are being taken within the framework of the diversity audit “Vielfalt gestalten” (2016-2018) of the Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft.

“BliSeh” is a project at FAU for blind and visually impaired students. It provides assistance with the use of technical facilities as well as advice on rules regarding adjustments to examination arrangements and the transition between university and career. Its main task is to teach key qualifications for blind/visually impaired students.

The contact person for BliSeh is Dr. Wolfgang Krebs