Student counsellors

How can we help? 

A student counsellor supports, provides advice and informs students. You can ask questions or have problems that are not directly related to the curriculum (the content of your study programme), but to you as a person. Consultations with a student counsellor are confidential.

What is the difference between a study adviser and a student counsellor?

If you have questions about the timetable or your study planning, you can make an appointment with your study adviser. In case you have personal problems - which may lead to study delay - it is necessary to discuss the matter with your study adviser as soon as possible. Your study adviser can refer you to a student counsellor.

You don’t need to have a study adviser’s referral, though, as you can also contact a student counsellor directly.

Special circumstances

There may be special circumstances that influence your study progress, regardless of whether you have yet to start your study programme or have been studying for a while now. In case of these circumstances you can, if you need or want to, talk to a student counsellor confidentially. Circumstances are for example top-class athletics, a disability for which you need specific adaptations to enable studying, illness, pregnancy or parenthood and family circumstances (e.g. informal caregiving).

Studying with a disability: special walk-in hours for new UvA students

who are going to study with a disability or chronic illness

Are you a student now starting your studies at UvA and do you need an exam arrangement, because of a disability? Please visit our special walk-in hour at the start of the academic year to discuss your option(s).

For students at Humanities and Economics and Business, other counselling hours apply (scroll down).

• from Wednesday, 28 August up till Friday, 4 October 2019
• on Wednesday and Friday from 14:00-16:00
• with the exception of Friday, 20 September 2019
• consultation time of 15 minutes
• location Roeterseiland Campus, room REC-C1.01

Humanities:

• from Tuesday, 27 August up till Tuesday, 1 October 2019
• on Tuesday, from 16:00-17:00
• consultation time of 15 minutes
• location City Centre, room BG 2 | room 0.36

Economics and Business:

You will receive an invitation through email about your options.

Help with your application for facilities

You can contact a student counsellor for assistance with applying for several facilities. A student counsellor can help you with:

• applying for examination or other educational arrangements
• applying for a financial compensation in case of study delay caused by illness or other personal circumstances
• obtaining a grant or scholarship from a private fund for financing your study abroad. For a couple of funds, an accompanying letter from a student counsellor is required. (Make an appointment with a student counsellor long before the deadline of the particular fund!)
• applying for a private fund to partly finance your study costs, if you are no longer eligible for a student grant
• applying for other grants for which you may be eligible, such as financial assistance for administrative activities.

Other topics for which you can go to a student counsellor

• For individual guidance, help and advice
• Help in case of study delay
• Problems with student finance
• Assistance with filing an objection and/or an instituting appeals proceedings
• Questions about your enrolment and the termination of enrolment (after you’ve checked the answer to your question in the FAQ)
• Assistance with admission to a Dutch-language Bachelor’s programma with a non-Dutch prior education

Make an appointment in time

Contact or book an appointment to get help from a student counsellor early to maximise the chances that the student counsellor will be able help you. Consultations with the student counsellor are free of charge.

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