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As a higher education student, you may be granted a special status based on individual characteristics and/or circumstances.

Inclusive university of applied sciences

Howest aims to open its education to as wide a population as possible and to provide every student with maximum opportunities to flourish.

Every person is unique, Howest recognises and values differences and pursues a diversity policy aimed at evolving from an integrated to an inclusive policy, complemented by a target group policy.

3 inclusive examination adjustments

These are adjustments that apply to all students regardless of whether or not they apply for a special status. We want to organise classical examination adjustments universally as much as possible. It concerns the following three examination adjustments:

  • Extra time for taking written exams (20-30%)
    This adjustment applies to both paper and laptop exams unless the time factor is part of the evaluation. The extra time is already provided for in the examination block. The agreements on where this adjustment does not apply are included in the adjustment agreements drawn up in consultation with your study department.
  • Oral explanation of the exam by the lecturer
    Study departments may choose to go over exam questions orally before the start, explain them and/or provide time to ask additional questions.
  • No point deduction for spelling mistakes and incorrect sentence structure during exams
    Except for 'language modules' and language components assessed within other modules. The agreements on where this adjustment does not apply are included in the adjustment agreements drawn up in consultation with your study department. This adjustment does not apply to submitting assignments, reports and bachelor's theses.

Which statuses are possible?

  • student with motor disability
  • student with hearing impairment
  • student with chronic illness
  • student with psychiatric disability
  • student with ADHD
  • student with tic disorder
  • student with DCD
  • student with stuttering problems
  • student with developmental dysphasia
  • student with learning disability (dyslexia, dysorthography, dyscalculia)
  • student with autism spectrum disorder

  • Informal care: You offer extra support to a person in need of care from the immediate surroundings (first-degree relative, cohabiting partner ...)
  • Pregnancy and/or parenthood
  • Other competitive sports: If you do not meet the requirements to obtain top-level sports status, you can apply for accommodations via 'student in specific social or individual circumstances', provided they meet the necessary criteria. This is only possible based on an individual file in which the student's motivation is supported by documents from the sports federation or club. Granting is done by Saar Olivier.
  • Different cultural background or foreign mother tongue
  • Transgender
  • Other

You work at least 80 hours per month or are employed half-time.

Please note that students studying in distance education cannot apply as their form of education has already been adjusted.

You want to study and still keep practising your sport at a high level? You can! To be recognised as a top-level athlete, your sporting level must be sufficiently high. Your application will be assessed based on the recognition conditions for top-level athletes set by the ‘study and top-level sport’ committee within the Ghent University Association. Contact Saar Olivier for more information.

You practice an art form at semi-professional/professional level and/or participate in exceptional domestic and/or international performances, tours, exhibitions ...

You take up a political mandate or you are a student representative in the university college, the association UGent, the VLOR or VVS and you take up the mandate of effective member.

You are self-employed, you have a company number, you are affiliated to a social insurance fund, ... You can also apply for student-entrepreneur status if you have plans for a business.

Note: this status is different from the student-entrepreneur tax status but is linked to it.

Granting is done by the Howest's entrepreneurship coaches

You received support as a student in mandatory education from a specific care need, without a specific diagnosis.

You can additionally link adjustments to this status through the application process.

What (reasonable) adjustments are possible?

If for some reason you need adapted teaching and/or examination formats, you can apply to the study coach for a special status and a combination of associated (reasonable) adjustments. In addition to the inclusive adjustments, it is also possible to request customised adjustments. This is always done in dialogue with you, possibly your environment and the study coach.

Tailored adjustments are granted by considering the following criteria:

  • Necessity: without these adjustments, the student cannot fully participate in educational and examination activities
  • Feasibility: adjustments should not impose a demonstrably disproportionate burden on the organisation
  • Defensibility: the adjustments are justifiable towards those involved. They are acceptable to the lecturer, achievable to the student and defensible towards fellow students and the institution.
  • Competence monitoring: the adjustments should not affect the intended final competences. They only modify the process of acquiring these competences.

Some examples of educational adjustments

  • arrangements for group work
  • possibility of/solutions for absence in educational activities and/or permant evaluation
  • possibility of moving deadlines

Some examples of examination adjustments

  • taking exams with compensatory software
  • taking exams on laptop instead of paper
  • going through the answers orally after the exam
  • taking exams in a separate examination room
  • moving exams to the catch-up day

The application

You can apply for a special status and associated adjustments by making an appointment with the study coach connected to your study department, to the exclusion of the status of 'student entrepreneur'.

Make an appointment with your study coach

You can also register on the adjustment tool.

If you wish to use the adjustments, it is your responsibility to apply for these. Without an official application and accompanying attestation, the study department cannot provide certain study and/or examination adjustments.

You need to apply for your (reasonable) adjustments in Howest every year. It is best to do this as soon as possible at the start of the new academic year

The deadlines for requesting accommodations are:

Academic year 2023-2024

  • For exams after the autumn break: 13 October 2023
  • For exams after the winter break: 8 December 2023
  • For exams right before and after the spring break: 15 March 2024
  • For exams in June: 10 May 2024
  • For the retakes: 14 June 2024

Academic year 2024-2025

  • For exams after the autumn break: 11 October 2024
  • For exams after the winter break: 3 December 2024
  • For exams right before and after the spring break: 7 March 2025
  • For exams in May and June: 25 April 2025
  • For the retakes: 13 June 2025

If there is a new/changed situation, you can also submit/amend your application later during the academic year. In that case, contact the study coach linked to your programme.

Documentation for status ‘Student with disability’

Documentation needs to be delivered in Dutch, English or French. If your documentation is written in another language, you'll need to provide us with a translation.

Do you have (medical) reports that document your disability? Deliver as much documentation as possible to the study coach. The study coach will judge if this documentation is sufficient to obtain the disability student status.

You can't provide sufficient (medical) reports that document your disability? Then you need to a completed VLOR attestation bundle signed by an qualified expert, as indicated in the form itself.

Documentation other statuses

  • Informal care: doctor's certificate
  • Pregnancy and/or parenthood: certificate pregnancy and/or family composition
  • Other competitive sports: documents from sports federation or club demonstrating level
  • Other cultural background or foreign mother tongue: copy of identity card and/or attestation language level Dutch
  • Transgender: doctor’s certificate
  • Working student: copy of employment contract indicating duration of contract and employment fraction or pay slip
  • Student with approved top-level sports activities: documents from sports federation or club demonstrating level
  • Student-artist: portfolio or artistic CV and documents supporting your achievements and activities
  • Mandate: attest with description of mandate
  • Student-entrepreneur: proof of establishment of the company (with company number)

You can always track the status of the application via the adjustments tool.

  • On full approval: On full approval: If the study coach has approved your application, you can download and, if necessary, print your adjustment certificate. The attestation lists the agreements with the study department you need to take into account.
  • On refusal of accommodations: In accordance with the Codex Higher Education of 20 December 2013, students with disabilities are entitled to 'reasonable adjustments' (Art. II.221). Refusal of reasonable adjustments will be justified. This will always be done based on the above criteria. If you do not agree, you can lodge an appeal via the internal appeal procedure, as described in the Education and Examination Regulations.

Additional study support for students with a special status

The study coaches also offer support through individual study coaching. Coaching is flexible and tailored to the student, taking into account the study programme context. The study coach can act as a bridge figure between the study department and the student. Some key starting points of our support are:

  • Student autonomy and self-direction are key
  • The student is an expert by experience
  • Striving for a growth trajectory tailored to the student throughout the study career
  • Extra attention to pivotal moments during the study programme such as transition from secondary to higher education, bachelor's thesis and internship

Through our digital offer, group sessions or individual coaching, topics such as learning how to study, planning, fear of failure, etc. are examined.

Study guidance is also provided by the study department through monitorate or study track guidance.

We try to proactively detect students' needs, but also count on the student's initiative to contact us in case of possible barriers.

Useful links