Managing health, disability & chronic illness as a student

Choosing a degree programme

Are you interested in studying at Friedrich Schiller University Jena? Make sure you get in touch with the University’s contact point for students with chronic illnesses and other challenges beforehand. They will offer information and advice on the particularities of your degree programme with regard to your impairment (conditions on site, possible ways of organizing your studies, contact persons, etc.).

Special consideration applications

During your time at school or university, health impairments may lead to challenging circumstances such as poorer school performance or prolonged schooling as a result of more frequent periods of illness, lack of experience abroad and in practice, etc. All of these factors may have a detrimental effect on your university admission. In these cases, you may submit special consideration applications to ensure that you get equal access to higher education. These include hardship applications and applications for the compensation of disadvantages to improve your average grade or reduce the waiting period for university admission. However, you can only submit these applications if you meet the admission requirements of your chosen degree programme.

If your chosen degree programme requires an aptitude assessment procedure in addition to general admission requirements, you may need to apply for additional compensation for disadvantages.

The Student Service Centre's contact point for students with chronic illnesses and other challenges and the Representative of Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses will be happy to provide information and advice on the choice of your degree programme, university admission regulations, and your options for submitting a special consideration application.

Enrolment

In your application for enrolment, you will be given the option to inform the Division for Student Affairs about your disability or chronic illness. This information can be used to anticipate potential barriers and plan for supportive measures.

Introductory phase of studies

The University's Central Student Advisory Service offers advice and support to students to help them settle into university life—especially during the introductory phase of their first year at university.

Further information

The German National Association for Student Affairs has an Information and Advice Center for students with chronic illnesses and disabilitiesExternal link that offers additional information and advice.

The following pages provide detailed information on how to finance your studies if you have additional requirements.

• Studis online  External link (see their page on studying with a disability—Studieren mit Behinderung)
• Deutsches StudierendenwerkExternal link (German National Association for Student Affairs)

The Thuringian Student Services Organization (Studierendenwerk Thüringen) offers accessible rooms and apartments for students with disabilities External link in three of its halls of residence in Jena. If you require accessible accommodation, we recommend that you register in good time.

Students with disabilities and chronic illnesses are legally entitled to compensation for disadvantages with regard to their studies and examinations. Claims for compensation  may not be recorded in your examination or degree certificate.

The German National Association for Student Affairs has an Information and Advice Center for students with chronic illnesses and disabilitiesExternal link. They offer detailed information and counselling services that focus on specific compensation regulations and provide an overview of the current legal situation.

If you have questions on whether and how you can apply for a compensation due to a disability or a chronic illness, please contact

• the Academic Advisor for your degree program (you may find contact details on the respective pages of the degree programs)
• the information office for chronically ill and disabled applicants and students (see contact details at the bottom of this page)
• the university's representative for students with disabilities, mental or chronic illnesses in the Diversity Office. ((contact details see bottom of this page)
• the examination office of your faculty.

Learn more External link

If you encounter barriers in everyday university life that interfere with your studies, please approach the responsible offices first to find a suitable solution. If this is not possible or if you need any additional help, please contact our Representative for Students with Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities at the Diversity Office.

Every student will face doubts and difficulties at one time or another. Sometimes, these problems can become so big and confusing that solving them alone becomes increasingly difficult.

Help with difficulties with your studies

For an overview of available information and support during your studies and in everyday life visit this page.

If your problems start to have a negative impact on your studies or affect your everyday life, you are welcome to contact the Psychosocial Counselling Centre ofExternal link Studierendenwerk Thüringen for a free consultation.

Offers of counselling for general worries and needs

You’d rather talk to your fellow students about your situation? ‘CampusCouch’External link is a counselling service run by psychology students and open to all students. They will lend an ear and give you the opportunity to get things off your chest.

The nationwide helpline Telefonseelsorge External link will always lend an ear to your worries and troubles. They will offer advice, direct you to further contact points, and allow you to share your problems anonymously around the clock. Please note that Telefonseelsorge is only offered in German. However, their website will direct you to helplines available in other languages.

Members of the Faculty of Theology offer counselling as well as pastoral care and guidance to all university members. Please contact their counsellors by sending an email to seelsorge@uni-jena.de.

Christian students in a crisis or difficult circumstances can confide in the university chaplains of the Protestant Student Community (ESG)External link and the Catholic Student Community (KSG)External link for confidential pastoral care, guidance, and support.

Muslim students can confide in the Muslim pastoral care helpline (MuTeS)External link where trained volunteers offer anonymous and confidential counselling services in difficult circumstances and emergencies. This service is funded by Islamic Relief Deutschland.

Help in mental health crises and exceptional situations

Should you find yourself in the midst of a crisis or exceptional circumstances, you can ask for professional (emergency) help from one of the agencies listed here External link.

If you are in great emotional distress and have suicidal thoughts, please confide in someone close to you and/or contact an agency with experienced counsellors who will provide you with professional help on a confidential basis. The website of NEST—Network for suicide prevention in Thuringia External link lists offers for round-the-clock help in Jena and the surrounding area.

Psychotherapeutic treatment services

Psychotherapeutic support for adults in the form of diagnostics, counselling (determining the problem or need for psychotherapy) as well as psychotherapeutic treatment is offered by two outpatient clinics run by the Institute of Psychology at the University of Jena. The psychotherapy methods used are recognized by statutory health insurances, which means that they will usually cover your therapy costs.

• The ‘Am Steiger’ outpatient clinic de  is an outpatient teaching and research facility run by the Department of Clinical Psychology. Their therapy offers include depth psychology-based psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and psychoanalysis.
• The ‘Am Johannisfriedhof‘ outpatient clinic de for psychotherapy is part of the Department

Self-help groups

An overview of the existing self-help groups in Jena as well as advice is provided by the service, advice and networking facility IKOS JenaExternal link. Self-help groups are associations of people who are physically, mentally or socially challenged in a similar way. By exchanging experiences with each other, through mutual help and in discussion groups, they strengthen each other's backs and can thus improve their personal circumstances.

Counselling for relatives

The ‘SeeleFon’ is a helplineExternal link offered by the Federal Association of Families of People with Mental Illnesses (BApK). They provide online and phone counselling services for relatives of people with mental illnesses. This service can be used anonymously.

An overview of further contact points in Jena is available herepdf, 788 kb · de.

The Post-COVID Outpatient Clinics at University Hospital provides help for people who contracted the Corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) at least 3 months ago and are still currently experiencing symptoms.

The Diversity Office offers regular opportunities for students with disabilities, neurodiversity, chronic or mental illnesses to network with peers at the University of Jena. Among others, these network meetings allow students to exchange experiences, talk about challenges, solutions and coping strategies. Each meeting is moderated by a student assistant.

Upcoming events and more information on how to sign up is available here.

Nationwide, there are various self-organized, cross-university networks for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. You can find a selection of these in the section ’Interest groups of students with disabilities or chronic illnesses’ further below.

Students and doctoral candidates with disabilities and/or children can apply for additional funding (top-up grants) to finance their stay abroad. If approved, these top-up grants will be paid in addition to the regular funding rates for each country.

Applications for additional funding are available from the University of Jena’s International Office. An overview of contact persons and office hours is available here.

Learn more

Student Health Management (SGM) provides an overview of health prevention and promotion services for students offered by the University and its cooperation partners.

The SGM offers workshops, sports courses, stress prevention, meeting platforms, kick-off events for first-year students, stop smoking services, and many more. Take a look!

Learn moreExternal link

Trouble in paradise? Would you like to have a chat with other students, talk about your situation and problems, and sort out your thoughts and emotions in a confidential setting?

‘CampusCouch’ is a counselling service run by psychology students and open to students of all disciplines. They are happy to lend an ear and give you the opportunity to get things off your chest.

The CampusCouch team offers students fast, uncomplicated, confidential, and free access to counselling sessions for one (or more) people.

Learn more de

‘Campus Talks’ is a podcast series offered by the University of Jena’s Student Health Management. The podcasts provide a platform for a diverse range of people and interest groups on various topics (directly or indirectly) related to health.

Learn moreExternal link

The MZEB is part of Jena University Hospital offers optimal conditions for the treatment of adults with disabilities. The focus is always on the individuality of those seeking advice. The aim is to develop customized therapies and solutions for a life that is as self-determined and independent as possible.