In accordance with university regulations, up to 2% of study places in admission-restricted degree programmes are considered for cases of exceptional hardship. Within this quota, approval of a hardship application without taking into account the criteria of the general selection procedure (average grade and waiting time) leads directly to admission before all other applicants.

Hardship applications are only approved in rare cases. There must be a special exceptional situation. Not every impairment, even if it is perceived as severe, justifies admission as a case of hardship. Exceptional hardship in accordance with Section 15 of the University Admission Ordinance exists if you find yourself in a special situation, in particular a health, social, disability-related or family situation, in which you cannot reasonably be expected to

• wait even one semester for your degree programme or
• begin your studies at a place of study other than in the state of Berlin, although you are already resident in Berlin or Brandenburg.

The far-reaching significance of a positive hardship decision for those who can no longer be admitted according to the general selection criteria due to the filling of study places by hardship cases makes a particularly critical examination of the reasons given and the evidence submitted necessary. The criteria for recognising hardship cases are therefore very strict.

Special health circumstances that require immediate admission, e.g.

• Illness with a tendency to worsen, which will lead to a high probability that it will not be possible to cope with the demands of studying on this degree programme in the future.
• Disability due to illness; vocational rehabilitation can only be ensured by immediate admission to the degree programme because the disability either makes it impossible to bridge the waiting period in a meaningful way or makes it unreasonably difficult compared to healthy persons applying for a degree programme.
• Restriction to a narrow occupational field due to physical disability; the intended degree programme is likely to lead to successful rehabilitation.
• Necessity to give up previous studies or previous profession for health reasons; it is not possible to bridge the waiting period in a meaningful way for these reasons.
• Physical disability; the disability either stands in the way of any other reasonable activity until the allocation of a study place or represents an unreasonable disadvantage compared to non-disabled persons in the event of further referral to the waiting period.
• Restriction in the choice of occupation or professional practice due to illness, as a result of which either an obstacle to a reasonable bridging of the waiting period or unreasonable disadvantage compared to healthy persons applying for a degree programme.

 Family reasons

• Special family reasons that require immediate admission.

Late resettlement

• Late resettlement and taking up a degree programme in the country of origin that corresponds to the above-mentioned degree programme(s).

Previous admission

• Earlier admission to the above-mentioned degree programme(s) and inability to take advantage of it for compelling reasons for which you are not responsible (in particular illness).

Comparable reasons

• Other comparable special social reasons that require immediate admission.
  

There is no case of hardship within the scope of this special application if

• you are confined to a specific location due to your own illness or the illness of a relative.
• you have discontinued your profession or studies for health reasons, due to poor career prospects, for reasons of conscience, lack of motivation or aptitude.
• you can only make a limited career choice due to health impairments.
• you cannot guarantee private financing for the entire course of study if you are not admitted immediately (e.g. orphan's allowance, BAföG, farm transfer agreement, inheritance contract, will, pension payments from the German Armed Forces).
• the alternative study programme can no longer be financed.
• you are married and/or your working spouse pays maintenance to you, is still in education or has given up work.
• You have one or more children.
• You are an orphan or half-orphan or come from a large family.
• Your parents will (soon) have financial problems and/or still have to pay for other siblings.
• you want to support your parents, siblings or children financially as soon as possible.
• Your parents or siblings are ill or severely disabled.
• you think you are particularly suitable for this degree programme.
• you have been repeatedly rejected for the degree programme.
• you can demonstrate creditable academic achievements and periods of study.   
• you are already older or would exceed a certain age limit after graduation if you are not admitted immediately (e.g. civil servant status).
• you were admitted to the degree programme at an earlier date and did not accept the place (for whatever reason).

You submit this special application as part of your study place application in the HTW application portal.

The regular deadlines for applications apply.

Please note that you can only successfully submit a special application if you fulfil the respective requirements and have provided full proof of this.

All required evidence must be uploaded to the application portal by the application deadline.

• For all health reasons, a specialist medical report that is also understandable for medical laypersons must generally be submitted.
• Depending on the reason for the application, further suitable documents may be required as proof. You will be informed of this during the application process in the application portal.
  
  

IMPORTANT:

The specialist medical report must adequately comment on the individual criteria listed for the stated reason for application. The report should contain statements on the development, severity, course and treatment options of the illness as well as a prognosis for the further course of the illness. It should also be comprehensible for medical laypersons.

Suitable additional evidence includes, for example, the severely disabled person's pass, the assessment notice from the pension office and the military discharge notice.