Tips for Your Studies
Tips on transportation costs, the library, financing your studies, accessible housing, and scholarships.
Means of transportation
If students with disabilities are unable to use public transportation on their own, they may apply to the social services agency in their place of study for reimbursement of travel expenses to the university.
Eligible expenses include the cost of a transportation service, a rental car, or a taxi. Consideration is given both to what is reasonable for the person with a disability and to the cost of the trip.
Source: Deutsches Studierendenwerk – Financing – Additional Mobility Needs
Using the Library
The library is intended to be accessible to everyone. Therefore, you can find a list of all the assistive devices and support services currently offered by the library at the following link.
Financing Your Education
In addition to the usual questions about financing their education, students with disabilities and chronic illnesses very often have additional financial issues to address. This is particularly the case when students, due to their disability,
- regularly incur additional costs
- have to take an extended break from their studies
- take longer to complete their studies
- start their studies later
- are unable to work part-time
- are unable to build up financial reserves.
Costs and Funding Sources
There is no single source of student funding. A number of different funding agencies cover the costs of standard living expenses and disability-related additional needs. It is not always easy to determine who is responsible for funding. The main funding agencies involved are:
- the BAföG offices,
- local and regional social assistance agencies,
- agencies providing basic income support for job seekers, and health and long-term care insurance providers.
In individual cases, workers’ compensation associations, third parties or their liability insurance providers, pension offices, and others may be obligated to make payments.
Source: Deutsches Studentenwerk – Studying with Disabilities – No Single Source of Funding
Accessible Housing
In most college towns, there are rooms or apartments in student housing complexes that are adapted to the specific needs of students with mobility impairments. Further general information can be found at the German Student Services Organization (Deutsches Studierendenwerk).
In three of the Studierendenwerk’s student housing complexes, the apartments are largely accessible to people with disabilities. In addition to the online application for housing, you must submit an informal request to the housing office. In addition, the “Haus Edith Stein” student residence operated by the Kolping Foundation in Augsburg offers accessible housing suitable for wheelchair users. Further information on the respective housing complexes can be found at the Augsburg Studierendenwerk.
For more information on accessible housing or other matters related to studying with a disability in Augsburg, you can also contact Michael Noghero (Augsburg Student Services’ representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses).
In addition, the City of Augsburg’s Office for Housing Assistance and Housing can help arrange subsidized, accessible apartments (provided you have a housing eligibility certificate).
Scholarships for People with Disabilities
The scholarship programs run by political parties, churches, and labor unions take disability-related needs into account when awarding scholarships. However, financial aid specifically for students with disabilities is the exception.
Major scholarship providers include foundations affiliated with churches, political parties, labor unions, and various businesses. In addition, there are numerous small foundations that support specific groups of people or address special needs. In many cases—though not always—above-average academic performance and a special commitment to social or community causes are rewarded. Applications for these scholarships must be submitted well in advance, as decisions on awards are typically made on a few fixed dates each year.
Support for Gifted Students with Compensatory Measures
The eligibility requirements for scholarships from the organizations for the promotion of gifted students, the “Aufstiegsstipendium,” and the “Deutschlandstipendium” also apply to students with disabilities. Measures to compensate for disadvantages are intended to ensure equal opportunities in the application process.
Scholarships Beyond Merit-Based Support—Scholarship Search
Not all scholarship providers base their financial aid (primarily) on outstanding academic performance, but rather on factors such as gender, level of need, or background. There are a few scholarship providers that specifically support students with visible and invisible disabilities. Various foundations support people with disabilities in difficult life situations when government benefits are not available.
Funding Program for Study Abroad for Students with Disabilities
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers funding for students with visible or invisible disabilities as part of all DAAD programs, for which you can apply.
Source: DAAD Funding for Equal Opportunities in Studying Abroad