Who can apply for hardship relief?
You can apply for immediate admission to a degree programme by submitting a hardship application. However, this does not guarantee you a place on the course.
The application for special consideration is governed by Section 10(2) of the Berlin Higher Education Admissions Act (BerlHZG):
“The places referred to in paragraph 1, sentence 1, number 1 [applicants for whom the rejection of their application for admission would constitute exceptional hardship] shall be allocated upon application according to the degree of exceptional hardship. Exceptional hardship exists where special reasons, particularly those relating to health, social circumstances, disability or family circumstances, make it imperative for the applicant to commence their studies immediately.”
In addition to health and disability-related reasons, family and social reasons may also justify an application for hardship status. Such reasons must be substantiated by appropriate documentation, such as a birth certificate. A specialist medical report is required as proof of health or disability-related reasons.
An application for hardship relief may only be submitted by German applicants and applicants from EU countries as well as the EEA states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and by those with a German educational background. The latter category includes persons holding a German university entrance qualification.
Furthermore, applicants for a second degree and those without a school-leaving certificate (§ 11 BerlHG) cannot submit an application for special consideration.
It is also not possible to submit a hardship application for a higher semester. In the admissions procedure for a higher semester, all applicants compete on the basis of academic merit, provided places are available. However, you may submit an application (please provide supporting evidence!) insofar as this will be taken into account in the event of a tie with another applicant (social, in particular family-related, financial or academic reasons, cf. Section 9(2) of the Berlin Higher Education Act).
Should an application for a place in the first semester initially be unsuccessful in the main allocation procedure, it will subsequently, provided that a valid hardship application was submitted alongside the application, automatically be included in the procedure within the hardship quota, which currently amounts to five per cent of the places per degree programme (Section 10(1) of the Berlin Higher Education Act (BerlHZG) in conjunction with Section 22 of the HU Admission Regulations (ZSP-HU)).
Alternative: Compensation for disadvantages in the application
By applying for compensation for disadvantages, you can achieve an improvement in your average mark or a reduction in the waiting time when applying for a place. For example, if you missed school due to family or health reasons and can provide a school report confirming that this led to a decline in your school grades, an improvement in your average grade may be considered. If you were only able to obtain your university entrance qualification later than usual due to family or health reasons, for instance, this may be counted towards the waiting period. A school report is also required for this.
What grounds can justify an application for hardship relief?
In the following examples, an application for special consideration on health grounds can generally be granted. The key factor here is the existence of specific health-related or disability-related circumstances that necessitate immediate admission.
These may include the following:
- An illness with a tendency to worsen, which will mean that it is highly likely that the student will not be able to cope with the demands of the degree programme in the future (specialist medical report).
- Disability caused by illness; vocational rehabilitation can only be ensured through immediate admission to the course, as the disability makes it impossible to bridge the waiting period in a meaningful way (specialist medical report).
- Restriction to a narrow professional field due to physical disability; the intended course of study is expected to lead to successful rehabilitation (specialist medical report).
- Necessity to give up previous studies or previous occupation for health reasons; for these reasons, it is not possible to meaningfully bridge the waiting period (specialist medical report).
- Physical disability; the disability prevents the applicant from undertaking any other reasonable activity until a place at university is allocated (medical specialist’s report).
- Restrictions on career choice or professional practice due to illness; this prevents the waiting period from being usefully bridged (medical specialist’s report). Family and social reasons may also lead to a justified application for hardship relief. If you have any questions on this matter, please contact the Family Justice team.
Required supporting documents
The required specialist medical report must provide a sufficient assessment of each of the criteria cited in the application for hardship relief.
The report should contain information on the origin, severity, progression and treatment options for the condition, as well as a prognosis regarding its future course. It should also be comprehensible to medical laypeople – those without in-depth medical expertise. Please note! A certificate, a brief medical note or simply the presentation of a severely disabled person’s pass is not sufficient.
Suitable additional supporting documents include, for example, the severe disability card, the assessment notice from the pension office or the discharge notice from the German Armed Forces. A personal cover letter is not required.
In the admission procedure for cases of hardship, grades and waiting semesters do not play a role; instead, points are awarded according to the degree of hardship based on the expert opinion (one to ten points). An application is only considered in the hardship procedure if it has not been admitted in the main allocation procedure.
Unsubstantiated applications
In the following examples, an application will generally not be successful unless there are further exceptional circumstances relating to the applicant:
- Local ties due to the need for home care and support in the case of an existing illness
- The need to give up previous studies or employment for health reasons; however, bridging the waiting period is possible
- Restrictions on career choice due to illness; however, bridging the waiting period is possible and reasonable.
Contact
Studying with a disability – advice
Familiengerechtigkeit – Beratung
Inclusion & Accessibility
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is committed to creating an inclusive environment. A disability should not be a barrier to participation in university life. We are therefore constantly working to break down physical, digital and social barriers – to create a university where everyone can conduct research, teach, study and work. Our key focus areas are studying with a disability, accessibility and mobility, and digital accessibility.
Family Support
The Family Support Office serves as the central point of contact and coordination for all matters and enquiries relating to balancing work, study and family life. Key areas of our work include family-friendly studying, family-friendly working, bringing children to campus, caring for relatives and childcare.
