Study abroad with a disability or a chronic illness
Advice on going abroad during "special operations"
For the time being, all face-to-face advisory services of the International Office are cancelled. You can reach us during regular office hours on Tuesdays (10–12.30 am and 2.30–4.30 pm) and Thursdays (10–12.30 am) by phone (telephone numbers listed below). Also, you are welcome to meet us online in our virtual meeting rooms:
- Tuesday from 10–11 am: Advice on stays abroad within Europe (Erasmus+)
- Thursday from 10–11 am: Advice on stays abroad outside Europe
In addition, you are welcome to contact us by e-mail at . If you would like to arrange a phone call, please send us a German telephone number and we will call you back.
Study abroad with a disability or a chronic illness
Coronavirus and stays abroad in 2021
The International Office is in close contact with partner universities worldwide. Since information related to the Corona crisis is updated on a daily basis, students planning a stay abroad in 2021 should regularly check their university e-mail account.
Preparatory trips for severely disabled students and interns
Due to the corona crisis, it is currently still unclear when European universities will start offering face-to-face teaching again. In order to enable as many students as possible to participate in mobility offerings, the German national agency DAAD now also supports preparatory trips for severely disabled students (from a degree of disability of 50). The funds are made available by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and serve to prepare for an Erasmus+ stay abroad in a programme country.
Information on the DAAD's general terms and funding conditions (in German)
A disability does not rule out the opportunity for a stay abroad. For more information, visit us for a consultation and get advice on exchange programmes and funding opportunities to suit your circumstances.
How can I organize a stay abroad with a disability?
The Counselling for the disabled of the Student Service Organisation (Studentenwerk) can provide information (in German) on studying abroad for students with disabilities:
Our disability counsellor for students advises you on organising your studies around a disability/chronical illness and informs you about possible support compensations for disadvantages ("Nachteilsausgleich"):
'MappED – the inclusive mobility website' offers an online map with accessibility information for European universities as well as general information about studying abroad with disabilities.
To find out more about the destination country and partner universities, it is worth taking a look at experience reports from other students.
Financial support for your stay abroad
Students with a degree of disability (German: GdB) of at least 30 percent are eligible for additional funding through the Erasmus+ programme for additional costs resulting from their stay abroad.
Students who are funded in a DAAD programme (such as the PROMOS programme) can apply for the reimbursement of additional costs incurred abroad (maximum 10,000 Euros).
A further option is to apply for a scholarship. Some foundations consider disabilities when awarding scholarships (e. g. the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation). In addition, there are scholarships which are exclusively for students with disabilities. The Servicepoint Scholarships at the University of Oldenburg offers links to several scholarship databases.