Studying abroad with a functional disability

What steps do you need to take?

• Step 1: Orientation: motivation and support system (before selection)

  To start off your potential exchange journey, the first step is to think about why you want to go on exchange. An exchange should suit your personal needs and wishes. So where do you want to go on exchange and what is the reason for this destination? Some questions to ask yourself: Do you want to experience high or low culture shock? Do you want/need to be in the same time zone as your family and friends to easily reach them? What is your budget? How accessible is the destination? Is there a hospital nearby that can give you the adequate help you need? These all are important factors to think about before choosing your list of top 5 preferred universities.  

  It can also help to discuss this with your loved ones to have more perspectives on the matter, but also to make sure that they can support you throughout the process and during your exchange abroad! 

• Step 2: Join the Study Abroad Weeks and schedule an online consultation appointment (before selection)

  Every year we, the Outgoing Student Exchange Team of VU International Office, organize the Study Abroad Weeks in November. During these weeks, we inform all second-year undergraduate and master students about the possibilities to study abroad. Besides the general sessions, we also host a dedicated online session about going abroad with special needs. In this session we provide information which can guide your choice of partner university depending on your needs, and we will discuss the additional scholarship opportunities within Europe. Moreover, former outgoing exchange students with special needs will tell you more about their experiences abroad and their preparations.  

  After the Study Abroad Weeks, you can book an online consultation appointment with one of us if you have more questions regarding studying abroad with special needs. We can also provide you with personal guidance regarding your potential exchange.  

• Step 3: Choice of partner university (before selection)

  You might currently use additional facilities to support yourself while studying at VU Amsterdam such as a lift pass or access to a relaxation room. The amount of support that our partner universities offer differs per country and per partner university. On our Study Abroad Map you can find more information about this per partner university, under the section ‘Student Support’. This will give you a good overview of what kind of services a specific partner university offers, such as a Disability or Inclusion Office or counselling. You can also read about the experiences of previous outgoing exchange students in the student reports.  

  Tip: Some countries and regions that are worth looking into are Belgium, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, as they tend to provide a lot of varied support! 

  Tip from a student: if you are part of community who have the same special needs as you, ask them for advice as well. This can help you pinpoint which destinations are suitable for your special needs specifically!  

• Step 4: Financial funds (after selection)

  Within Europe there are extra Erasmus+ scholarships that you can potentially apply for. The first one is the Erasmus+ Inclusion Top-Up for students with a disability or health problems. The scholarship amount is 250 euros per month.  

  The second one, the Erasmus+ Special Needs Supplement, is a scholarship on top of the Inclusion Top-Up for students who are expecting high additional costs while studying abroad that the Inclusion Top-Up won't fully cover. Some examples are wheelchair-accessible accommodation or high additional medical costs during the semester abroad.  

  You can find more information about both scholarships here. You will also receive more information about the Inclusion Top-Up during our pre-departure meetings in March/April and consequently by email in May. If you think you are eligible for the Erasmus+ Special Needs Supplement, please contact us after selection.  

• Step 5: Reaching out to your host university and practical matters (after selection)

  After selection and after we have nominated you at your host university, you will start your application at the host university and start arranging practical matters. However, please make sure not to commit to any financial expenditures until you have been officially accepted by your host university! Some extra practical matters to consider: 

  • Decide whether you want to disclose information about your special needs with your host university. This may depend on necessity, do you want or need help from your host university to help arrange certain matters such as for example accommodation fitted to your needs, and/or on your own personal preference. Either the international office of your host university will help you directly or will refer you to their Disability and/or Inclusion Office.  
  • Check with your health insurance what they cover during your stay abroad or whether you need additional insurance.  
  • Make a list of the resources and additional support you receive now to study at VU Amsterdam and start looking into how you can arrange the same support during your stay abroad. Two resources that can help you are the following: SIHO, the Belgian Support Centre for Inclusive Higher Education, have set up a questionnaire ‘Prepare your transition’. The other resource is from AHEAD, an Irish independent non-profit organisation working to create inclusive environments in education for people with disabilities. They have also set up a page to help you prepare for your stay abroad. Not everything might be relevant for your personal situation, but these sources can help you jumpstart and reflect on what needs to be arranged for your stay abroad.  

• Useful resources

  • Inclusivemobility.eu: Inclusive Mobility is an additional source you can use to help guide your top 5 preferred universities. This European platform shows the support measures and accessibility of various of our partner universities. You can also check out various student testimonials from students who have studied abroad before you.  
  • ECIO, the Dutch centre of expertise for inclusive education, aims to enable young people with disabilities and special needs to be able to study successfully. They also share tips for when you want to go abroad in their student journey chart.  
  • The VU Amsterdam Infopoint Studying with a functional disability for any questions about studying at our university with a disability.  
  • The VU Amsterdam wellbeing page with tips, tricks and a lot of useful recourses to support your mental health.  
  • The VU Amsterdam academic advisors: the academic advisors can help you with any study-related questions you might have. They can also usually provide you with a letter about the extra facilities that you are currently using to study at our university. This letter can help you get the same facilities at your host university.  
  • The VU Amsterdam Studying abroad page with more general information about studying abroad, for example about our application procedure.  
  • And, lastly, for some inspiration, have a look at the story of Salim Belmoussa who was diagnosed with progressive muscle disease and did an exchange at LUISS Rome for a semester.