Support services and leave of absence

OLS language support

Language support in the Erasmus+ Online Language Support (OLS) programme is available via the EU Academy platform for students going abroad with Erasmus+. You can voluntarily take an OLS language test and course online before, during and after your stay abroad and test your knowledge in as many languages and attend as many courses as you like.

Online language support is available in all official European languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Irish Gaelic, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. Online language support will also be provided for the official languages of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programme countries: Icelandic, Macedonian, Norwegian, Serbian and Turkish.

You can get started right away via the following link. As the system is not entirely self-explanatory, you will find instructions here. The European Commission's Help Centre is available for all questions and technical difficulties.

Staying abroad with a disability

We endeavour to enable students with disabilities to study abroad at one of our partner universities. We will be happy to advise you on your choice of study location and support you in your preparations, as unfortunately not all of our partner universities offer facilities for disabled students.

Additional financial support is generally more compatible with studying abroad in Europe. Here you will receive an Erasmus+ mobility grant, which can be topped up for special needs, e.g. in the form of disability-friendly accommodation, carers, etc. This must be applied for at least three months before your stay abroad, just contact us!

Please note that you should generally allow more time to prepare for a semester abroad with a disability.

Further information on studying abroad with a disability can also be found on the pages of the Deutsches Studentenwerk on studying and disability.

Equal opportunities are a central concern in the Erasmus+ programme.

Flat-rate funding

From the 2021 project year onwards, the DAAD will fund students with a GdB of at least 20 or a chronic illness who have been accepted by their home university for an Erasmus+-funded study or internship abroad. A separate application is not necessary, but we need to know about it. So please contact us directly! The monthly grant is a flat rate of €250.

Application for real costs

There is also the option of submitting a real costs application, also for students with a GdB of at least 20 or a chronic illness who have been accepted by their home university for an Erasmus+-funded study or internship abroad. A separate application must be submitted for this, the maximum funding amount is €15,000 per semester and per mobility. The application amount is calculated according to your needs and paid out in addition to the regular Erasmus+ funding instalment.

Only additional costs can be taken into account that

Are not covered by national bodies (integration offices, health insurance funds, regional associations, social welfare offices, student services organisations)

As you will need to provide evidence of the difference between the costs in Germany and abroad, please allow sufficient time to submit your application and be sure to let us know in person!

The application should be submitted to the NA DAAD by your home university at least two months before your departure. Unfortunately, an application that is submitted after the start of your study or internship abroad cannot be considered. The DAAD will review the application and reserves the right to reduce the application amount accordingly.

Studying abroad with a child

Of course, you can also study abroad for one or two semesters as a parent. The Viadrina International Affairs department will support you and advise you on your choice of study location in order to find a university with a suitable infrastructure. Not all of our partner universities are equally geared towards students with children. However, it is generally possible to complete a semester abroad with children everywhere. At some universities this is easier than at others and we recommend that you use the office hours of the International Office to find a suitable partner university.

It's easier to get financial support for an exchange semester within Europe. You will receive a scholarship as part of our EU exchange programmes. This can be topped up for additional family members, but must be applied for at least three months before your stay abroad.

You can contact the Department of International Affairs and also seek advice from the Viadrina Family Affairs Officer.

Please note that you will generally need to allow more time to prepare for a semester abroad than your fellow students without children. Since a selection for the study abroad programme only takes place once a year in the winter semester, a planning period of one to one and a half years would be helpful.

Useful information on studieren-mit-kind.org

If you are spending a semester abroad with a child as part of the Erasmus+ programme, you can also apply for additional funding.

Since the 2014/15 academic year, the DAAD (Erasmus+ guidelines, as of 22 July 2014) has stipulated the following:

"Project organisers shall pay the fixed monthly "regular" Erasmus+ funding per country group (...) to the funding recipients; in addition, additional monthly lump sums (limited to the maximum country group rate) may be granted for the target group described above":

200 euros regardless of the number of children.

In order to improve the conditions for successfully studying with a child, all newborn children of students at the European University Viadrina will receive a one-off welcome gift of 100 euros from the 2010/11 winter semester. Half of the payment will be made by the Studentenwerk Frankfurt (Oder) and half by the AStA of the Viadrina.

In addition to ERASMUS+ funding, there are other ways to apply for scholarships:

MAWISTA Scholarship - Studying abroad with a child

Semester of leave during a stay abroad

Can I take a leave of absence during my stay abroad at the Viadrina?

Yes, you can apply for a semester of leave. During a semester of leave, your study place at Viadrina will remain intact. However, you are not entitled to take part in courses or examinations at Viadrina during this time.

Will the courses I have completed abroad be recognised by arrangement despite my semester abroad?

If you were on leave of absence during your studies abroad and are studying at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics,
or Law and Business | Business and Law, the courses you completed abroad cannot be recognised at Viadrina. For students of all other degree programmes in the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences or the Faculty of Law, credits earned abroad will be recognised despite the semester of leave.

Can I be exempted from the semester ticket regardless of the semester of leave?

Yes, regardless of which Faculty you belong to, if you are abroad for at least three to four consecutive months, you can be exempted from the semester ticket regardless of your leave of absence!

Do I have to re-enrol at the Viadrina even if I apply for a semester of leave?

Yes, regardless of whether you apply for a semester of leave or not: you must remain enrolled at Viadrina.

Can I withdraw the semester of leave afterwards?

Yes. If you are not sure whether you will complete or pass courses abroad, this is an option. You can then withdraw the semester of leave before it expires. The admission's office will inform you of the deadlines (usually about a month before the end of the semester of leave).

How do I exempt myself from the semester ticket?

Exemption from the semester ticket is possible with and without leave of absence:

With leave of absence:

Please submit the application for a leave of absence to the admission's office during the re-registration deadline. The application must be confirmed by us. Please come to our office hours or - if you come outside office hours - to the office of our student assistants (AM 207). Applications and deadlines for leave of absence can be found on the admission's office website. After your application has been processed, you will see the reduced semester fee in viaCampus.

Without a leave of absence:

Please submit a confirmation/proof of the length of your stay abroad to the admission's office during the re-registration deadline with an informal application for exemption from the semester ticket. After your application has been processed, you will see the reduced semester fee in viaCampus.