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Disadvantage compensation

What is disadvantage compensation?

Chronic illnesses or disabilities can make it more difficult for students to complete coursework and examinations under the current conditions than it is for their peers without disabilities. Attempts to offset such a disadvantage aim to compensate for the disadvantages caused by a disability, insofar as the specific circumstances allow. This right is enshrined in law.

“If a candidate can demonstrate that, due to a disability or chronic illness, they are unable to sit preliminary or final examinations, in whole or in part, in the prescribed form, the chair of the relevant examination board shall permit them to sit the examinations within an extended time limit or to undertake equivalent examinations in an alternative format. It must be ensured that the competencies to be demonstrated in the examination are also demonstrated through this alternative form. To this end, the submission of a medical certificate may be required.”

Ein Studierender lernt mit seinem Lehrbuch.

When can an application for disadvantage compensation be made?

A request for disadvantage compensation must be submitted early at the start of each semester. To ensure that this is taken into account in the assessment, the request should be submitted no later than when you register for the examination.

In the case of disabilities that arise at short notice, the application may also be submitted after the start of the semester or once the disability has arisen.

Application for alternative examination formats

A request to switch to alternative examination formats must be submitted before the start of lectures. Otherwise, the switch cannot be made.

Permanent and termly disadvantage compensation

Under certain circumstances, such as in the case of a chronic, stable disability, disadvantage compensation may be granted on a permanent basis.

If the disadvantage compensation is granted on a permanent basis, students are required,

  • after the end of the relevant examination registration period,
  • each semester,
  • to inform the chair of the relevant examination board and
  • the programme's examination office
    of the examinations for which they have registered.


Even where disadvantage compensation is granted on a termly basis, there is still an obligation to report the examination results accordingly.

Who is eligible to apply for disability compensation?

Students with disabilities or chronic conditions, including, for example:

  • motor, visual, hearing or speech impairments
  • chronic mental health conditions
  • chronic physical conditions

    It is not the diagnosis itself that is decisive, but the specific impact on academic performance or examination results.

How do you apply for disability compensation?

The application for reasonable accommodation must be submitted to the relevant examination board.

You can download the application form here.

We recommend that you seek individual advice in advance from our representatives on the relevant campus. Such a consultation is mandatory for the permanent granting of disadvantage compensation.

The application must include:

  • a description of the disability in relation to the examination or coursework to be adapted;
  • appropriate evidence of the disability (e.g. specialist medical reports, statements from registered psychotherapists or reports from hospitals or rehabilitation centres);
  • proposals for adjustments to coursework or examinations

What forms can disadvantage compensation take?

Depending on the specific disability, the following measures may be appropriate, for example:

  • Extended writing time for exams or the provision of individualbreaks
  • Exams in separate rooms with dedicated invigilation
  • Permission to use special aids
  • Extension of deadlines for coursework and final theses
  • Conversion to alternative examination formats

The nature and extent of the adjustments depend on the individual disability and the requirements of the respective examination.


Important information regarding applications

  • Submit your application for disadvantage compensation as early as possible, ideally immediately after re-registering for the next semester. For organisational reasons, the application must be submitted by the end of the registration period for examinations at the latest.

  • Please complete the form electronically using Adobe Acrobat Reader, sign it digitally and forward it together with the relevant supporting documents.

  • If your disability prevents you from studying full-time, Heilbronn University offers a tailored part-time study programme.

Granted disadvantage compensation is intended to compensate for individual limitations and is not stated in the report.

Expert reports and medical certificates – Guidance on disadvantage compensation 

As a rule, suitable medical or therapeutic evidence (e.g. a doctor's certificate or expert report) is required when assessing an application for compensation for disadvantage. The following guidance is intended to assist you and the professionals issuing the documents in preparing the necessary paperwork.

Formal requirements for the expert report

The medical report or certificate should:
  • be written in a way that is understandable to people without medical training
  • be issued by a doctor (GP or specialist), psychologist or psychotherapist
  • describe the current status of the disability and, particularly in the case of evolving conditions, be no more than 6 months old;
  • include the assessor's stamp, date and signature

Content requirements for the expert report

The expert report should include the following information:

  • Confirmation of the existence of a disability, chronic or mental health condition, including the onset, severity (where applicable) and (where possible) expected progression
  • A description of the specific impact of the disability on:
    • Examination situations (e.g. written exams, oral exams)
    • Work placements
    • Term papers or dissertations
    • where applicable, the general study situation


Recommendation of appropriate compensatory measures

Recommendation regarding the specific measures required from a medical or therapeutic perspective to compensate for disadvantages and ensure equal opportunities:


  • Extension of the examination time (specified as a percentage)
  • Separate room for exams; where applicable, specify the maximum number of people in the room
  • Conversion to an alternative examination format
  • Additional break times (specified in minutes)
  • Use of specific aids or assistive technologies

You can also download these guidelines on the expert report for the application for disadvantage compensation here.

Representative for students with disabilities

The representatives for students with disabilities will support and advise you on options such as compensation for disadvantages or extension of study time. The representatives are responsible for any form of impairment, regardless of whether physical, mental or other limitations make your studies more difficult.

Please also contact your lecturers at an early stage and inform them if you need support during lectures. This could be the use of a mobile signal transmission system, sign language interpreters, etc.

Schwäbisch Hall Campus 

Künzelsau Campus 

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