Hardship Application and Preferential Admission to Studies

Hardship Application

The care and upbringing of one or more children under the age of 18 or the presence of a family member in need of care do not automatically qualify as hardship reasons. However, family-related circumstances can be considered a hardship case under § 12 HVVO Ba-Wü if they are so severe that they necessitate the immediate commencement of studies (time factor). Appropriate documentation must be submitted along with the application.

Applicants may request admission under hardship considerations within a special quota (maximum 5% of study places). To do so, they must submit an additional "hardship application" alongside their regular application. The hardship application form and further information can be found here .

A university-internal committee under the direction of the Vice Rectorate for Studies and Teaching is responsible for assessing hardship cases in accordance with § 12 of the Higher Education Admission Regulation. A case of exceptional hardship exists when particular social or family-related reasons necessitate the immediate recommencement of studies. The ranking of applicants within this category is determined by the degree of hardship.

Preferential Admission to Studies

When calculating waiting periods for university admissions, pregnancy, childcare responsibilities for children under 18 years of age, and the care of close relatives are considered valid factors under consideration, provided that the applicant was not enrolled at a university in Germany during this time.