Offers for students who are caring for close relatives
For students who are caring for close relatives, there are various ways to reduce the workload during their studies in order to make it easier to combine caring and studying. TU Darmstadt offers the following:
Students who are caring for a close relative can apply for compensation for disadvantages according to § 24 para. 2 APB for examinations. It states:
(2) Impairments caused by pregnancy, the raising of children or the care of dependent relatives are to be taken into account. If the APB or the degree programme regulations stipulate deadlines for the completion of certain performance-based credits, these will be extended on request by the statutory maternity protection period. On request, an appropriate extension of the periods can also be granted if there are proven impairments in accordance with Sentence 1.
The application must be justified and accompanied by supporting documents and submitted to the Office for Student Affairs responsible for you.
If part-time studies are offered in your degree programme, you can apply for part-time studies to care for a close relative. If you choose the right part-time studies plan, you can significantly reduce your workload during the semester without foregoing the social security benefits of student status. You may also be entitled to social security benefits if you fulfil the requirements for part-time studies. In part-time studies, you have double the deadline for submitting your thesis in almost all degree programmes. For more information on applying for part-time studies and advice, please contact the Service point part-time studies, studying with children.
You can take a leave of absence for up to six semesters on the grounds of ‘caring for relatives in need of care. During your leave of absence, you may complete coursework and examinations, but your semester counter will remain on hold. Please consider a leave of absence carefully, as it often has disadvantages for BAföG, child benefit, student health insurance and scholarships. The Service point part-time studies, studying with children will be happy to advise you on whether part-time studies are the better solution. You can apply for leave of absence via TUCaN. Details on the leave of absence and the documents to be submitted can be found here.