Exceptional hardness

A small number of study places can be allocated to applicants for whom non-admission to the course would mean exceptional hardship.

According to § 11 sentence 2 of the Hessen Study Place Allocation Ordinance (StPlaVO), exceptional hardship is deemed to exist if there are special personal social or family reasons that make it absolutely necessary to commence studies immediately, i.e. if a delay of even one semester in the commencement of studies is unreasonable for personal reasons.

Examples

In the following example cases, the application can generally be granted:

• Illnesses with a tendency to worsen, which will lead to a high probability that it will not be possible to get through the burdens of studying in this degree program in the future,
• Disability due to illness; vocational rehabilitation can only be ensured by immediate admission to the degree program because the disability makes it impossible to bridge the waiting period in a meaningful way,
• physical disability; the disability stands in the way of any other reasonable activity until a study place is allocated,
• ethnic German repatriates and confirmation that they have taken up studies in their country of origin.

As a rule, the following are not recognized

• Local ties due to the need for home care and support in the event of an existing illness,
• the studies cannot be financed,
• The applicant has one or more children,
• Father, mother or both parents and siblings are ill or severely disabled.

Please note:
A severe disability (according to the Severely Disabled Persons Act) does not generally justify immediate admission under the hardship regulation.

Up to five percent (§ 5 Para. 2 No. 1 StPlaVO) of the study places in each degree program are available to those who submit a hardship application.

This means that if a hardship application is accepted, the applicant still takes part in the selection process based on average grade and waiting time like all other applicants. If they are unable to reach the selection thresholds, this does not mean that they will receive a rejection letter; instead, they will be selected under the hardship quota. Admission under the hardship quota thus has the effect of an exemption from the generally applicable selection criteria.

A hardship application must be submitted during the online application in eCampus.

The privileged status of immediate admission compared to competing applicants can only be justified if a delay in the start of studies in the desired subject would be unreasonable or grossly unfair. It is therefore necessary to prove a particularly serious personal exceptional situation. This exceptional situation can only relate to current or future circumstances.

You will need the following documents when applying for exceptional hardship:

• Letter of justification(please upload the document during your online application in eCampus)
• Relevant evidence, e.g. expert opinion(please upload the documents during your online application in eCampus)

All circumstances presented in the case of hardship must be supported by appropriate evidence, otherwise they cannot be taken into account in the decision.
The attached documents must be presented so clearly that an external person can understand your arguments on the basis of the documents.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to carry out a preliminary assessment of reasons for hardship. A binding assessment is only possible if a fully documented hardship application has been submitted together with the application for admission.