Special educational support

You may be eligible for special educational support (SPS) if you have challenges that affect your studies. Get an overview of the support available to you here.

Do you need special educational support during your studies?

This page outlines the options for receiving special educational support (SPS) and is for you who wish to apply to the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and have a diagnosis, physical or mental impairment, a disability, or are neurodivergent. For example, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, anxiety, visual or hearing impairments, long-term effects of concussion, eating disorders, or chronic illness.

This could mean that you can apply for:

  • admission under special circumstances when applying to the University of Copenhagen
  • financial support for your studies once you have been admitted to the University of Copenhagen

Already a student at UCPH?

If you are already studying at the University of Copenhagen and would like to find out more about special educational support (SPS), you can find the information on KUnet.

Read about SPS on KUnet

Studerende til undervisning i auditorium

Are you eligible for special educational support?

The target group for SPS is broad. There are several different functional impairments, which means that you can get support and aid. You can receive different forms of support, depending on your challenges. 

  • To obtain SPS, you must have a diagnosed functional impairment.
  • You must have documentation (for example from your own doctor, a medical specialist, or e-journals).
  • You must comply with study activity requirements.
  • You must be a Danish citizen, be covered by an international agreement, or be comparable to a Danish citizen. 

Find out how you qualify for special educational support

Exchange students

As an exchange student at UCPH, you are not covered by the same terms as full-degree students. However, you can still apply for special conditions for classes and exams. 

Read more about special educational support for exchange students

Your guide to choosing an education

If you have specific needs and challenges, it may be even more important to research and consider which study programme would be a suitable for you.

Please note that all bachelor's programmes at the University of Copenhagen are taught in Danish and you obtain a high levet of Danish before applying for admission.

Below you will find a guide to help you choose the right programme. 

Do you want to apply for a bachelor’s programme?

Education check at UCPH (in Danish)

Visit the University of Copenhagen

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Research and reflect

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Consider your challenges

  • Consider what you will find easy and what you will find difficult. Be honest and open about your challenges and needs.
  • If you are uncertain, you can speak to the student counsellor about the options, requirements, and expectations of the programme.

For questions about UCPH study programmes, please contact the student guidance:

Contact the student guidance

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Sign up for information about special educational support

If you are applying for a place in a bachelor’s programme, we recommend that you sign up for information about special educational support via the applicant portal, MitKU.

  • If you register, you will receive information about available support to you during your time as an applicant. 
  • If you accept your place, you will receive an invitation to a special support session for new students in August, as well as guidance on how to apply for special support.
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Apply for special educational support

Apply for special educational support as soon as you have been offered a place at the University of Copenhagen and have accepted your place.

It may take a couple of months before your support is fully in place.​

If you are already receiving SPS at the University of Copenhagen and are continuing onto a master’s degree at the University of Copenhagen, you do not need to reapply for SPS unless your needs have changed.

See how to apply for special educational support

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Join the study start

  • Starting university is an exciting and overwhelming time. You can prepare by reading the messages you receive on MitKU.
  • Take part in the special educational support study start in August (weeks 32–34)
  • Take part in the introduction week and ask tutors and student advisors for help in prioritising the events you should attend if you cannot make it to everything.
  • See if anyone in your network can help you until the support is in place.
  • Contact student counselling on your study programme.

When applying for admission

This section is only relevant to you if you are applying for admission to a bachelor’s degree programme at the University of Copenhagen and have a documented diagnosis, a functional impairment, a disability, or are neurodivergent.

Admission with special educational support

Apply for admission under special consideration

Early admission

If you have a disability, you can apply for early admission and receive a response to your application by 28 July.

Allowing you to apply for special educational support well in advance, so that the support is ready when you start your studies. Even if you have been accepted early, you will not be able to apply for SU and the disability allowance until August.

How to apply

You must apply for the early admission exemption immediately after you have applied for admission via optagelse.dk.

You must upload documentation of your functional impairment, disability, or neurodiversity in the exemption form. 

Application deadlines

If you apply for 

  • Quota 1: Apply for admission at optagelse.dk by 1 May at the latest.
  • Quota 2: Apply for admission at optagelse.dk by 15 March at 12:00 at the latest.

Find the dispensation form and read more about early admission (in Danish)

Special conditions under Quota 2

If you have applied for admission under Quota 2, you will need to take a Quota 2 entrance exam and possibly attend an interview.

You can apply for special conditions for the Quota 2 exam and written interviews if you have a documented impairment, disability, or neurodiversity that will put you at a disadvantage during the exam.

For example, you may have dyslexia, autism, ADHD, anxiety, cerebral palsy (CP), or visual impairment.

You can apply for extra time for the Quota 2 exam and written interviews. You can also apply for permission to use assistive devices during the exam. 

Extra time for the Quata 2 exam

We can grant you extra time for the Quota 2 exam and written Quota 2 interviews if we assess that you need extra time to be able to sit the Quota 2 exam on an equal footing with others.

Our assessment is based on the documentation you provide. This could, for example, be a dyslexia assessment, a report from a doctor, or psychologist.

If you are granted extra time for the exam, you will be given at least 25% more time. This means that the two hours allocated for the Quota 2 exam will be extended by at least 30 minutes.

If you proceed to the written interview, for which 1.5 hours has been allocated per interview, your time will be extended by 22.5 minutes per interview.

Read about dyslexia tests (in Danish)

Assistive technology and software

You may be permitted to use assistive devices for the Quota 2 exam and any written interviews, but which ones depends on your disability.

Our policy is that, for the Quota 2 exam and written interviews, you may use the same aids as our students with similar disabilities during written exams at the university.

These could include, for example, digital tools for people with dyslexia or visual impairments.

Find out more about how to apply for special conditions under Quota 2 (in Danish)

Participate in Quota 2 online

It is also possible to take the Quota 2 exam online if you are better placed to take the exam from home. However, you must sit alone and may only use aids if you have been given permission to do so by the University of Copenhagen. 

Read more about Quota 2 online (in Danish)

Extraordinary circumstances

If you have been subject to extraordinary circumstances that have affected your ability to achieve a fair grade-point average in your qualifying examination, you may apply for an exemption.

The University of Copenhagen cannot disregard the admission requirements for the programme you wish to apply for. However, we can assess whether these exceptional circumstances have put you at a disadvantage compared with other qualified applicants.

Read more about extraordinary circumstances (in Danish)

What support is available to you?

Once you have been admitted to the University of Copenhagen, you can apply for three main types of support: 

  1. Special educational support (SPS)
    e.g. assistive devices and personal support
  2. Special conditions in classrooms and at exams
    e.g. extra time for exams
  3. Disability supplement in addition to your state education grant

Find your situation

Find the situation that best applies to you below and get an overview of the support and assistive devices available to you.

I have a mental impairment or am neurodivergent

Mental impairments or neurodivergence can include, for example, anxiety, autism, ADHD, depression, OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders and bipolar disorders.

Why can it be difficult to study?

The challenges can vary from person to person.

Here are some typical examples from conversations with students:

  • Lack of drive and energy for studying
  • Problems with concentration, attention, and memory
  • Problems with stamina and retention to the programme
  • Problems with structuring your study everyday life, for example in connection with major assignments.
  • Lack of overview of the programme, syllabus, major assignments, and exams
  • Difficulty getting started, for example when writing
  • Feeling overwhelmed and discomfort caused by academic pressure
  • Problems with social isolation
  • Finding it difficult to be in social contexts, for example challenges of attending the programme and classes with many people
  • Difficulty staying focused, e.g. during presentations and group work
  • Challenges in contacting lecturers and fellow students
  • Uncertainty about own study capabilities and academic skills.

What kind of support can I get?

I am dyslexic

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that makes it hard to learn how to link letters and sounds. Dyslexia varies in severity and is experienced differently from person to person. 

Why can it be difficult to study?

As a dyslexic, your study difficulties could take the form of, for example:

  • Slower reading speed than your fellow students
  • Problems learning new course content through reading
  • Problems in keeping sentences in your head while writing them down
  • Problems in formulating difficult content in writing
  • Major differences in written and oral formulation
  • Problems in reading and writing in a foreign language
  • Uncertainty of spelling.

What kind of support can I get?

  • Dyslexia test
  • IT package with dyslexia programmes for your own computer
  • Instructions on how to use the IT package
  • Dictaphone for recording sound 
  • Scanner
  • Digital teaching materials
  • Study support sessions with a dyslexia consultant
  • Software that can read text aloud or make PDF documents easier to read.

What are support hours?

If you have dyslexia, you can receive study support sessions through KVUC’s dyslexia support service. Study support is tailored to your needs.

You will be assigned a permanent counsellor at KVUC. Together, you can focus on strategies and methods in relation to reading and writing. You can also receive support in organising your study work, for example by planning oral and written exams together. 

In the video below, you can hear KVUC explain how to access support and assistive technology for your studies. This is for you if you suspect you might be dyslexic, or if you already know you are.

I have a neurological functional impairment

A neurological functional impairment could be:

  • Brain damage, brain haemorrhage, brain tumour, or a stroke
  • Long-term effects of concussion
  • Epilepsy
  • Chronic migraine and chronic headaches
  • Inflammation of the nerves, paralysis, or sensory disturbances
  • Sclerosis
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Pains, such as facial pain, or walking and mobility disorders

Why can it be difficult to study?

If you have a neurological disability, you may face challenges when studying. 

For example,

  • Lack of energy
  • Difficulties with concentration and memory, for example when reading and writing
  • Severe fatigue/mental exhaustion
  • Extreme sensitivity to sound and light
  • Difficulty planning and creating structure and overview
  • Neurological vision problems, such as problems with binocular vision or a restricted field of vision
  • Dizziness and balance problems
  • Speech difficulties, etc.
  • Severe migraine attacks and pain

What help can I get?

I have hearing or visual impairments

Hearing and visual impairments is a collective term for deafness or hearing loss, and blindness or low vision.

Why can it be difficult to study?

As well as the more obvious difficulties, you may find it hard to study because of:

  • Problems with concentration and stamina
  • No overview of the study programme
  • Challenges in structuring and planning your studies.

What help can I get if I am blind or visually impaired?

  • Assessment of your need for support at the Danish Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted (IBOS)
  • Aids, such as the IT starter package for the blind or visually impaired, blackboard camera and cold lights
  • Digital teaching materials
  • Secretarial assistance
  • Mobility hours by an IBOS consultant
  • Study support hours by a support teacher to, for example, reading graphs

What help can I get if I am deaf or hearing impaired?

  • Sign language interpreter
  • Speech-to-text interpreter
  • Hearing assessment
  • Aids/support materials
  • Secretarial assistance
  • IT starter package for the deaf or hearing impaired
  • Study support hours by support teacher
  • Software that can read text aloud or make PDF documents easier to read.

I have a physical functional impairment

The most common form of physical impairment is a movement disability or chronic pain.

These may include, for example, paralysis, back problems, hypermobility, pain in the joints and muscles, or various forms of arthritis.

However, it could also be other serious or chronic conditions.

Why can it be difficult to study?

If you have one or more physical disabilities, it can be difficult to study because of:

  • Problems with concentration and stamina
  • No overview of the study programme
  • Challenges in structuring and planning your studies.
  • Problems with specific assignments
  • Pain in the musculoskeletal system and rapid fatigue. 

What help can I get?

  • Dictaphone for recording sound 
  • Ergonomic chairs, desks, mice, and keyboards
  • Reading racks
  • A computer with software for text-to-speech and other functions
  • Secretarial assistance
  • Practical help.
  • Software that can read text aloud or make PDF documents easier to read.

​Please note, however, that transport to and from your place of study is not covered by SPS.

How do you apply for support?

You can apply for support once you have been admitted to the University of Copenhagen. See how to apply for below.

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How to apply for SPS and special conditions

  1. Book an appointment with the student counsellors on your programme once you have been admitted to the University of Copenhagen. Read more under ‘How to apply’ at KUnet
  2. During the meeting, you will work together to clarify your needs and the options available for support, as well as what documentation is required.
  3. Following the interview, the University of Copenhagen will apply for an SPS grant on your behalf to the Danish Agency for Education and Quality, which will process the application. It often takes 4 – 12 weeks to receive a reply.
  4. You must apply yourself for special arrangements for teaching and exams. UCPH is happy to help you with, for example, applying for extra time, permission to use your SPS assistive technology during exams, exemptions, and drawing up an alternative study plan.
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How to apply for a disability allowance with your SU

You can apply for a disability allowance to supplement your SU grant through the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Research if you have a long-term mental or physical disability that prevents you from holding a student job.

Read more about SU

Special educational support for exchange students

As an exchange student at UCPH, you can apply for special conditions in class and/or exams, apply for permission to use aids from home, or you can receive guidance regarding purchasing relevant aids through private companies in Denmark.

How to apply for special conditions in class or permission to use aids

  1. Contact International Education at UCPH at incomingmobility@adm.ku.dk as soon as possible (preferably before you apply and before you have been accepted).
  2. Make sure that you can document your impairment or illness.
  3. International Education will help you get in touch with the right people at the relevant faculty/faculties so that you can receive the support you need.

Want to know more?

You will be able to get more information about deadlines and documentation after you have been accepted to UCPH.

Read more about student support, student counselling and well-being

Housing for students with disabilities

Housing Foundation Copenhagen offers special attention to people with disabilities. 

Students with special needs applying for housing through Housing Foundation Copenhagen will be asked to provide information regarding their disability in the online booking system and to provide documentation. 

For further information please contact Housing Foundation Copenhagen at contact@housingfoundation.ku.dk.

Meet other students who receive support

Questions and answers

Get answers to frequently asked questions about special educational support.

Many institutions, organisations and associations also provide support or counselling. Here is a list of places that cater specifically to students. Some of these are only available to you once you are a student at the University of Copenhagen.

  • SU guidelines: Find out about the SU rules, disability supplements, activity requirements, and additional grant portions.
  • Student Counselling Service: Once you have started university, you can, for example, access social and psychological support.
  • The Psychiatry Foundation (in Danish): Find exercises that can help you deal with anxiety, stress, depression, etc.
  • University chaplains: Students’ own chaplains. They listen and can help to clarify your options.
  • The Student Ambassador: Provides help if you are unsure about your rights or need help to apply for a dispensation.
  • SUMH: Organisation for young people with mental, physical, and neurological disabilities. 

Before your meeting to discuss support, we recommend that you:

  • consider the challenges you might face during your studies at the University of Copenhagen. 
  • obtain documentation of your functional impairment or diagnosis from your doctor.

Physical functional impairments:

  • You must have medical documentation for your physical impairment.
  • This could be from your own doctor, a medical specialist, the hospital, or e-journals.
  • The documentation must show your full name, CPR number, and date.
  • In the case of chronic or serious illness, the documentation must describe your learning issues or other issues.
  • This may, for example, be moving or visual difficulties that have an impact on your participation in your study programme.
  • For progressive disorders, it is important that the documentation is relatively new and covers your current condition.

Mental functional impairment

  • You must have medical documentation for your mental impairment or neuro-divergence.
  • This could be from your own doctor, a medical specialist, the hospital, or e-journals.
  • The documentation must show your full name, CPR number, and date.
  • The statement from a psychologist is not enough; it must be supplemented by medical documentation.

Neurological functional impairments:

  • You must provide medical evidence of your neurological impairment.
  • This could be from your own doctor, a medical specialist, the hospital, or e-journals.
  • The documentation must show your full name, CPR number, and date.
  • In the case of chronic or serious illness, the documentation must describe your learning issues or other issues.
  • This may, for example, be moving or visual difficulties that have an impact on your participation in your study programme.
  • For progressive disorders, it is important that the documentation is relatively new and covers your current condition.

Dyslexia

  • If you have not previously received SPS, you must submit the Ministry’s dyslexia test or other evidence of dyslexia.
  • The dyslexia assessment is conducted electronically and is usually conducted by a reading support tutor at your previous educational institution.
  • If you have previously been granted SPS due to your dyslexia, you do not need to submit any supporting documents.

Hearing impairment

  • Copies of hearing graph and medical records from hearing clinic or hospital.

Visual impairment

  • Documentation from an ophthalmologist or the National Eye Clinic stating your diagnosis.

If you want family members, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, mentors to talk to us about your application or pick up your aids and materials, you need to give us permission to exchange information with them.

You can do this by completing and submitting a power of attorney, or by bringing one with you.

Download the power of attorney document (in Danish) 

If you start a study programme at the University of Copenhagen and receive SPS, you can take your financial support and assistive devices with you to the university abroad where you will be studying. 

Contact an SPS advisor to find out more about your options, and if you are already studying at UCPH.

Read about SPS while studying abroad programme at KUnet

Contact us

If you have questions about special support in connection to the admission process, we can guide you on:

  • choosing the right study
  • fulfilling the admission requirements
  • early admission
  • special conditions in relation to Quota 2