Trier University welcomes students with disabilities. In order to ensure a successful time here, it is important to have a plan in place to address any related health issues in advance of moving to Trier. 

We are happy to provide some guidance about local services available and the steps in contacting service providers in the Trier area. As well, we will work with students to provide disability related compensation at the university during your course of study.

Please note:

• Exchange students at Trier University who would like to request an compensation due to a disability must speak with the specific academic advisor or professor directly. Compensation is made at the discretion of the faculty or professor.  
• It is the responsibility of the student to arrange all services for their personal medical care
• The student is responsible for all costs related to medical services required (through insurance or personal finances)
  
  First thing you need is a doctor to prescribe medication. Here is a list: https://www.gelbeseiten.de/aerzte-psychiatrie-und-psychotherapie/trier
• Call and ask for the next available appointment. Tell them you are new in town and that it’s about depression and medication.
• It might be best to ask a native German speaker for help as not all providers may be able to speak EnglishNext you will need to find a „Psychologischer Psychotherapeut”, there are a number in Trier who are able to offer services in English. The link below will provide contact information based on your criteria entered  https://www.kv-rlp.de/patienten/arztfinder/erweiterte-suche/  
• Please complete the form on the website.  A sample form with the search criteria completed is below to assist you in filling out the form.
• Your search will provide over 14 results with phone numbers. Call and ask for the next available appointment.

Note: Please check with your health insurance provider regarding coverage for these costs.  You are responsible for any costs related for appointments made or medication required.

Compensation for students with disabilities, mental illnesses or chronic diseases is a means to ensure equal opportunities and is anchored in law, such as in the “Allge­meinen Prüfungsordnung”, § 3 (6) 6 and in the “Hochschulgesetz” § 26 (4).

1. Who can apply for disability compensation?

Students who are unable to complete certain examinations (in whole or in part) in the prescribed form due to a disability or a long-term or chronic illness can apply for an compensation related to the disability. Compensation makes it possible, for example, to finish the examinations within a longer processing time or to take equivalent examinations in a different form.

Compensation can also mean to use aids during exams, such as noise-cancelling headphones or a laptop, which the Central Student Advisory Service can provide after advance reservation.

2. How to request a compensation

Students who require compensation related to their disability during examinations or academic course work, shall submit an application in German to the responsible clerk in the university examination office (Hochschulprüfungsamt). Law students submit the application to the Examination Office of Department V (Jura).

The application must be accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents. Acceptable documents include medical certificates (in German or officially translated to German).  The documentation would demonstrate the impact of the disability or illness on course work or examination requirements. 

When applying, students can consult the staff of the Student Counseling Service (Zentrale Studienberatung), Nathalie Beßler and Dr. Frank Meyer. They can also provide you with a document describing what information should be included in the certificate.

IMPORTANT: Students with disabilities and chronic illnesses are entitled to compensation for disadvantages/accommodations due to a disability. However, there is no entitlement to a specific accommodation under the rule, meaning that an accommodation is allowed but as to how the accommodation is structured may differ depending on the situation and mutually agreed upon.

3. Timeline for applying for disability accommodations

The claim for disability compensation must be submitted in a timely fashion, preferably at the beginning of the semester or before the registration for the examination. The selection boards (Fachprüfungsausschuss) will need sufficient time to examine and decide on the application and, where appropriate, make arrangements in advance of the examination date.

4. What happens after the application?

The staff of the university examination office forward the application to the examination board of the department. They decide on the application and the form of the disability compensation. Feedback to the application is again provided to the student by the university examination office or by the examination office of the department V (Jura).

An approval for compensation/accommodation due to a disability does not mean that everyone in the Department knows about it or that the approved measures of compensation/accommodation are automatically provided to you. The decision of when to take an examination (e.g. write an exam) is up to the student, so you should discuss what accommodations or measures are being requested in regards to the course and examination requirements with your lecturer(s) at an early stage so there is time to initiate a plan.

5. In case of rejection of the accommodation request

If an application is rejected, it is possible to resubmit it in a subsequent semester or to file an appeal.

However, there are fees associated with filing an appeal according to § 15 Abs. 4 of the Landesgebührengesetz Rheinland-Pfalz (LGebG) from 03.12.1974 (GVBl. S. 578 i.V.m § 9 Abs 1. LGebG under consideration of the administrative effort and the importance of the matter for the objector. In addition, there are costs related to postal expenses pursuant to § 10 para. 1 no. 9 LGebG in conjunction with § 15 para. 4 sentence 2 LGebG."

Compensation for exchange students with disabilities during studies and examinations.

Exchange students at Trier University who would like to request a compensation due to a disability must speak with the specific academic advisor or professor directly.  Accommodations are made at the discretion of the faculty or professor.  

Upon written application, the deadline for the final thesis may be extended by up to six weeks. This is the maximum extension which may not be exceeded.

Extension of the deadline for reasons of illness

Students who are prevented from working on the thesis due to illness must prove this by providing a certificate from a medical specialist.  This certificate must be provided to the University Examination Office immediately. The extension is granted by the University Examination Office. The student will then receive written notification from the University Examinations Office with the new submission deadline.

Students who fall ill during the examination period for a total period of more than six weeks have the option of withdrawing from the examination. The withdrawal must be in writing, presenting the medical certificate(s) and submitted to the University Examination Office before the latest deadline date.

The deadline may only be extended by a maximum of six weeks in total, both for reasons of illness and for any other reason. If, for example, there is already an extension of two weeks due to illness, the extension for other reasons can only be a maximum of four weeks.

A general deadline extension for the thesis is possible in case of a request for compensation or accommodation due to disability. However, this must be submitted in advance of the registration for the respective thesis together with the registration form. The usual regulations for compensation for disability apply here.

Source: Änderungen der Allgemeinen Prüfungsordnungen nach Beschluss des Senats der Universität Trier vom 7. Juli 2022