Unfortunately, caring for/raising one or more children under the age of 18 or a care case in the family does not constitute a case of hardship. Family reasons can constitute a case of hardship according to § 12 HVVO Ba-Wü if they are so serious that the reasons make it absolutely necessary to start studying immediately (time moment). Suitable evidence must be enclosed with the application.

When applying, admission on hardship grounds is possible in a special quota (max. 5% of study places). For this, an additional “hardship application” must be submitted in addition to the actual application. The hardship application form and further information can be found here.

The decision on a case of hardship is the responsibility of an internal university committee under the direction of the Vice-Rectorate for Studies and Teaching, which examines the following in accordance with § 12 of the University Allocation Regulations: Exceptional hardship is deemed to exist if special social or family reasons relating to the applicant's own person make it absolutely necessary for them to commence their studies immediately. The ranking is determined by the degree of exceptional hardship.

When calculating waiting periods, periods of pregnancy and caring for children under the age of 18 are included, as is the care of close relatives, provided that there was no enrollment at a university in Germany during this period.

Students with children or caring responsibilities have the opportunity to register preferentially for seminars and tutorials with limited space, as they have to manage their time resources differently.

This can be done through pre-registration or reserved places in seminars or tutorials. The settings for this are available in Alma, please contact your lecturer, who can do this manually.

For students with family responsibilities, there is always the problem that the time allowed for absences per course is not sufficient, as they may also be confronted with illnesses of their children or relatives to be cared for or a sudden loss of the corresponding care compared to other students. They may also not be able to complete certain coursework in the form offered, e.g. participation in excursions lasting several days or carrying out laboratory experiments during pregnancy/breastfeeding.

As a general rule, periods of illness of a child or unavoidable absence from childcare are deemed to be equivalent to the student's own illness if appropriate proof is provided (certificate from the doctor or, in the second case, from the childcare facility/person) and count as an excuse for missing periods of attendance and for delays in coursework.

Should problems arise with regard to compulsory attendance, it is essential that you speak to the lecturer at an early stage.

In principle, it is possible to replace an academic achievement (final exam, essay, etc.) with a more flexible subsutitute. This requires a detailed explanation. Please enquire whether it is possible to work on missing course content elsewhere or to replace study formats that cannot be attended (e.g. excursions or similar) with other formats.

This also requires a detailed explanation. Please enquire whether it is possible to work on missing course content elsewhere or to replace study formats that cannot be attended (e.g. excursions or similar) with other work. It is up to the respective lecturer or, in difficult cases, the responsible department or faculty, to decide which type of replacement is appropriate. In the latter case, you can submit an application for substitute performance to the chairperson of the respective examination board.

According to § 32 paragraphs 3 and 4 of the State Higher Education Act (Landeshochschulgesetz), students with children or relatives in need of care are entitled to flexible deadlines or extensions of examination deadlines to help them manage their studies.

These deadline extensions also apply to academic requirements such as seminar papers, submission of term papers, presentations, written exams, etc.

This regulation applies to students with children under the age of 18 and to those caring for relatives as defined in § 7 paragraph 3 of the Caregiver Leave Act (Pflegezeitgesetz), which includes:

1. Grandparents, parents, stepparents, parents-in-law

2. Spouses, life partners, partners in a marriage-like or civil partnership-like relationship, siblings, brothers- and sisters-in-law

3. Children, adopted or foster children, children of a spouse or life partner, children-in-law, and grandchildren.

A child in need of care who is being cared for outside the home is also included in the definition of a dependent under the Caregiver Leave Act. Additionally, accompanying a close relative during their final phase of life is considered a valid reason for absence.

Please consult with your instructor or examiner to discuss any necessary deadline extensions based on your individual needs.

In order to determine the appropriate length of an extension, the time you can realistically dedicate to your studies compared to other students must be considered. Please include detailed supporting documentation with your extension request, and give it to the relevant examination office (such as child care contracts, employment contracts of other guardians, etc.).

It is assumed that students without caregiving responsibilities can devote around 40 hours per week to their studies.

According to § 61 paragraph 3 of the State Higher Education Act (Landeshochschulgesetz), students can take a leave of absence for the duration of providing care to a relative, as defined in § 7 paragraph 3 of the Caregiver Leave Act (Pflegezeitgesetz), provided that the relative is in need of care as defined in §§ 14 and 15 of Book XI of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch). In simplified terms, this means the relative must be assigned at least Care Level I.

Accompanying a close relative during their final phase of life is also recognized as a valid reason for a leave of absence.

Who is considered a “close relative” under the PflegeZG and FPfZG?

• Grandparents
• Parents, stepparents, parents-in-law

• Spouses, life partners, partners in a marriage-like or civil partnership-like relationship 

• Siblings, brothers- and sisters-in-law

• Children, adopted or foster children

• Children, adopted or foster children of a spouse or life partner

• Children-in-law and grandchildren

A child in need of care who is being cared for outside the home is also included in this category under the PflegeZG.

To substantiate the request, students must submit either a certificate from the care insurance fund—similar to the proof required by employees when claiming caregiver leave under § 3 PflegeZG—or a meaningful medical certificate.

Special regulations for leaves of absence due to caregiving (also applicable for maternity and parental leave):

• Leave may be granted as early as the first semester of study

• Students may still attend lectures and seminars and complete coursework and exams

• These leave semesters do not count toward the limit on semesters that may be taken off for other reasons. In other words, they are an additional two semesters of leave allowed for “important reasons” (§ 61 paragraph 1)

• Examination deadlines are paused. If students choose to take an exam during their leave, they must clarify in advance with the appropriate examination office what kind of deadline extension will be available in case of a failed attempt. As a form of compensation, students are entitled to flexible deadlines (§ 32 paragraph 3 sentence 2 clauses 3 and 4 and § 32 paragraph 4 sentence 1 clause 5 of the Landeshochschulgesetz)

For international students and those pursuing a second degree:
They are exempt from tuition fees during the leave of absence, provided the application is submitted before the start of the lecture period. However, the semester contribution must still be paid (§ 6 paragraph 2 sentence 1 LHG). Please make sure to check the box for tuition fee exemption on the leave of absence application form.

The medical service of the health insurance company usually indicates the caregiver and the time spent providing care for a loved one can be proof of care responsibilities, or a corresponding medical certificate may also serve as proof of the care activity.

Since August 2019, caring for a close relative in need of care with at least care level 3 has been recognized as a reason for extending the BAföG funding period.  

For more information, please visit: https://www.bafoeg-rechner.de/FAQ/bafoeg-verlaengern.php, (§ 15 Abs. 3 Nr. 2 BAföG)

All recommendations are in German:

5 Films

5 Book Recommendations

We have a wide range of general and regional information brochures on the topic of “care” available for you at the Family Office.
You can also get a quick, general overview of the topic of care on the BMG website.