Special motions

If you are facing a particularly serious personal situation that requires immediate admission to the program (first semester) or if special social or family circumstances necessitate this, the Saarland University Admissions Regulation allows you to submit an application for special consideration. A limited number of spots are reserved for such justified cases—regardless of your grades. The ranking of applicants is determined by the degree of exceptional hardship. 

In your application for a study place, you must informally request recognition as a hardship case with a detailed justification and provide appropriate supporting documentation.

If you have already been awarded a spot in a previous admissions process but were unable to accept it due to military or civil service, you will be given priority for admission. To qualify, you must apply for the study place no later than the second student placement process following the completion of your service.

Services include, in particular, military service, civilian service, a voluntary social year, at least two years of service as a development aid worker, or the exclusive care of a child under 18 or another relative in need of care for up to three years. 

Such service must be specified in the application for a university place and verified upon enrollment.

When allocating university places, the grade point average may be an important selection criterion. The Admission Regulations therefore provide for the possibility of improving this criterion in special cases upon request. 

Such an exceptional situation exists if the applicant was prevented from achieving a higher grade point average for reasons beyond their control. 

The improvement in the grade point average must be substantiated by a school report.

Applicants who have already successfully completed a degree program in another field at a university in Germany (first degree) may be selected for the first semester of a Bachelor’s program with limited local admission under a special quota.

To determine whether consideration within this quota is possible, a separate statement of reasons for the second degree program must be uploaded as part of the application.

Applicants who are members of the national squad of a top-level sports federation affiliated with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) for a sport supported by the Saarbrücken Olympic Training Center (OSP) and who, for this reason, are required to study in Saarbrücken (elite athletes) participate in the local admissions process at htw saar under a special quota of 2 percent of the established admission quota. Elite athlete status and membership in the national squad of a priority sport of the OSP must be verified by a certificate from the OSP.