Studying with a disability means removing structural, digital and organisational barriers at the university. This includes compensation for disadvantages in examinations, advice services and special BAföG rules for disability or serious illness. The support is aimed at students with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, mental illnesses and chronic conditions.
What matters most in brief
- Compensation for disadvantages adjusts the conditions of an examination, for example through more time or a different examination format. Each university sets its own procedure.
- Contact persons are the representatives for students with disabilities, the advice service of the student services organisation and the BAföG office.
- Under BAföG, disability and serious illness are recognised grounds for longer funding, for exceeding the age limit and for changing field of study.
- Child benefit can be paid without an age limit for a disability that occurred before the 25th birthday.
- For co-payments, a limit on costs applies, which for people with chronic illnesses is 1 percent of annual gross income.
What does studying with a disability mean in practice?
Accessibility goes beyond the lift. It concerns three areas that work together:
- Buildings: ramps, lifts, automatic doors and height-adjustable workstations in the library.
- Digital offers: learning platforms that work with screen readers, lecture recordings with subtitles and learning materials in accessible formats.
- Organisation: compensation for disadvantages, adapted examination formats and personal contact persons.
What your university specifically offers differs from place to place. The advice on site tells you which offers exist and what you need to apply for. The question is worth asking already when choosing a university.
Who can receive support during studies?
Support is not only an option for a visible disability. Chronic and mental illnesses can also make studying so difficult that adjustments make sense. What matters is how strongly the impairment limits your everyday student life. The relevant office will tell you which evidence it requires. This article does not establish a diagnosis and does not replace medical advice.
How does compensation for disadvantages work during studies?
Compensation for disadvantages adjusts the conditions of an examination to your impairment, without lowering the academic requirements. The rules are set out in the examination regulations, and procedures and responsibilities differ between universities. These examples are common:
| Area | Possible adjustment |
|---|---|
| Time | Extended working time or additional breaks |
| Examination format | Oral examination instead of written, or the reverse |
| Room | Separate, quiet examination room |
| Aids | Screen reader, enlarged display, sign language interpreting |
Whether and in what form compensation is granted is decided by the university on a case-by-case basis. Apply as early as possible so that enough time remains before the examination, and check the examination regulations for the deadlines that apply.
Who should you contact?
Many universities have representatives for students with disabilities. Their name and contact details are usually on the university website. Other offices also help:
| Office | Helps with |
|---|---|
| Representative for students with disabilities | Compensation for disadvantages, study organisation, barriers at the university |
| Psychological counselling service of the university or student services organisation | Mental strain and crises during studies |
| Student services organisation | Advice on financing and housing |
| BAföG office at the student services organisation | Funding, extension, age limit, change of field of study |
| Information and advice centre on studies and disability (IBS) at the German Student Services Organisation | Nationwide information on studying and disability |
| Health insurance fund | Aids, co-payments, travel costs |
What applies to BAföG in case of disability or serious illness?
You submit the application online via BAföG Digital, like everyone else. Disability and serious illness are also recognised grounds for three exceptions:
- Extension of funding: beyond the maximum funding period, BAföG can be extended by a reasonable time, for example due to a disability. How long depends on the individual case.
- Age limit: BAföG is only granted if studies begin before the 45th birthday. If a disability or illness delays the start, the limit can be exceeded if you begin your studies without delay as soon as the obstacle no longer applies. The details are given by the student services organisation (German).
- Change of field of study: from the 5th subject semester onwards, a change is funded only for an unavoidable reason. An example is a disability or serious illness that objectively makes the course of study or the intended profession impossible. You need a written justification and must act without culpable delay. More is available from the student services organisation (German).
Raise disability-related additional costs with the BAföG office before submitting the application, and clarify which evidence is required.
Which other financial support is available?
| Benefit | Rule |
|---|---|
| Child benefit | A child who cannot support themselves because of a disability is taken into account without an age limit, if the disability occurred before the 25th birthday (§ 32 EStG). You apply to the family benefits office. |
| Co-payments | The limit on costs is 2 percent of annual gross income, and 1 percent for people with chronic illnesses. You apply for the exemption only once the limit is reached, and it applies for one calendar year. |
| Aids | Entitlement to aids such as hearing aids or orthopaedic aids where they are necessary in the individual case. The co-payment is 10 percent, at least 5 euros and at most 10 euros per aid. |
| Patient transport | Paid by the fund only where medically necessary, on prescription. Outpatient treatment usually requires approval, with exceptions including a severe disability card with the marks aG, Bl or H. |
| Erasmus+ | Students with a degree of disability of 20 or more, or a chronic illness, receive an additional 250 euros per month in 2026/27. |
| Working student status | From the 26th subject semester onwards, it is presumed that studies are no longer the main focus. The presumption can be rebutted, for example by illness or disability. |
If you are privately insured, the article on aids in private health insurance (in German) explains the rules for the list of aids. In addition, there are discounts and benefits you can use with your student card: an overview is provided by Student status benefits (in German).
How do you organise your studies with limitations?
Plan with buffers and treat your energy as a limited resource. Schedule demanding tasks for times when you feel better, and clarify early which courses can be arranged flexibly, for example through recordings or substitute performance. How you can organise your studies well (in German) is explained in a separate guide.
If procrastination becomes a recurring problem, strategies against procrastination (in German) can help. If an illness is behind it, it belongs in medical or psychological assessment.
Digital aids such as read-aloud functions or AI tools for summarising can relieve the load. What works well and where the limits lie is shown in opportunities and risks of AI in learning (in German). For examination performance, the rules of your university apply. In group work it helps to raise needs openly. If tensions arise, the guide on conflicts in group work (in German) can help.
If you need personal support during studies, for example an assistant, clarify responsibility and cost coverage early with the university advice service and the student services organisation.
Frequently asked questions
What is compensation for disadvantages during studies?
Compensation for disadvantages changes the conditions of an examination so that an impairment does not disadvantage you, for example through more time, a separate room or a different examination format. The academic requirements remain the same. It is applied for at the university, and the rules are set out in the examination regulations.
Do I get BAföG for longer if I have a disability?
A disability is a recognised ground for extending funding beyond the maximum funding period by a reasonable time. How long the extension is depends on the individual case. Raise it with the BAföG office in good time and clarify which evidence you need.
Can I study with a chronic illness and receive support?
Yes. Chronic and mental illnesses can also be taken into account if they make your studies more difficult. You clarify which evidence is needed and which adjustments are possible with the representative for students with disabilities at your university.
Is child benefit for a disability paid after the 25th birthday?
Yes, under two conditions: the child cannot support themselves because of a disability, and the disability occurred before the 25th birthday. The child is then taken into account without an age limit. The family benefits office examines each case.
So gehst du jetzt vor
- Find the representative for students with disabilities on your university website and arrange a conversation.
- Clarify which evidence is needed for compensation for disadvantages, and apply for it early.
- Raise extension, age limit or additional costs with the BAföG office before you complete the application.
- Check child benefit, the limit on co-payments and aids with the family benefits office and your health insurance fund.
Related articles
- Aids in private health insurance (in German)
- Mental health during studies (in German)
- Organising your studies (in German)
- Student status benefits (in German)
- Maternity protection during studies: examinations, deadlines and compensation for disadvantages (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
