Special status and (reasonable) adjustments

• Hearing impairment
• Chronic disease
• Physical disability
• Developmental disabilities: AD(H)D
• Developmental disabilities: ASD
• Developmental disabilities: DCD
• Developmental disabilities: learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysorthography, dyscalculia)
• Developmental disabilities:: developmental dysphasia
• Developmental disabilities: developmental stuttering
• Developmental disabilities: tic disorders
• Psychiatric disability
• Visual disability
• Other disabilities

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

• Transition period transgender
• Other specific social of personal circumstances
• Recognized religious community: You belong to one of the six religious communities recognised by the federal government.

You offer extra support to a person in need of care from the immediate surroundings (first-degree relative, cohabiting partner ...)

Only for students who follow a Dutch-taught study programme.

You work

• At least 80 hours per month or 50% of full-time hours;
• At least 50 hours per month as a student worker, to be assessed over the past 12 months preceding the start of the first or second semester.

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 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.

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

You are a member of one of the United Spurs sports teams and you are playing for the first team (in a match or training session).

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.

• Student representative
• Political mandate
  

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

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 2025-2026

• For exams after the autumn break: 16 October 2026
• For exams after the winter break: 27 November 2026
• For exams right before and after the spring break: 5 March 2027
• For exams in May and June: 30 April 2027
• For the retakes: 25 June 2027

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

• Enhanced care: motivated report from the CLB
• Transition period transgender: certificate from the attending doctor or the treating centre
• Recognized religious community: statement of honour
• Caregiver: certificate from doctor
• Linguistic needs based on a non-native speaking background: copy of identity card and/or a certificate of language level for Dutch
• Pregnancy and/or parenthood: pregnancy certificate and/or a family composition certificate
• Medical reasons: certificate from doctor
• Working student: declaration of employment, a copy of employment contract stating the duration of contract and breach of employment or pay slip + statement of honour
• Entrepreneur: proof of company incorporation (including company registration number)
• Approved top-level sport activities: certificate from sports association/trainer stating the level, training times ....
• Intensive competitive sports participant: certificate from sports association/trainer stating the level, training times ....
• United Spurs: proof of membership of the United Spurs Kortrijk sports team and active in first team (matches or training)
• Student representative/political mandate: certificate setting out the terms of the mandate, stating the start and end dates
• Practitioner of the arts: a portfolio or artistic CV, and documents that can support your achievements and activities
  

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.