What additional funding is available for scholarship recipients with a disability or chronic illness?
Equal Opportunities & Inclusion in Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is committed to ensuring equal participation for all members of the university community. To make a period abroad feasible for everyone, additional financial support can be applied for to cover extra costs incurred as a result of a disability or chronic illness.
- Individual needs: Additional funding is provided through what is known as a real-cost application. Your actual anticipated additional expenses (e.g. for accessible accommodation, accompanying persons, or medical care at your destination) are calculated individually and subsidized accordingly.
- Advice: We are happy to provide confidential support in preparing and applying for this funding.
Requirements & Supporting Documents for an Actual-Cost Application
An application for reimbursement of actual costs may be submitted if:
- a disability or chronic illness is present, and
- this directly results in additional, uncovered costs during the Erasmus+ stay.
Required supporting documents:
- Proof of disability or impairment: e.g. a severely disabled person’s ID card, a specialist medical certificate, or an official notice
- Proof of costs: quotations or receipts for specific expenses (e.g. support services, accessible transportation, or assistive devices)
- Subsidiarity: where applicable, an informal confirmation or rejection notice stating that the primary cost bearers (such as health insurance, benefits office, or integration office) will not cover the costs.
What Additional Costs Can Be Funded?
The specific additional costs incurred during your stay abroad due to a disability or chronic illness may be funded, provided that no other funding bodies cover these costs.
These may include, for example:
- Additional costs for accessible accommodation and wheelchair-accessible transfers
- Travel and accommodation costs for necessary assistants or accompanying persons
- Specific assistive devices or medical needs at the destination
- Other uncovered additional needs related to mobility
Procedure, Deadlines & Reimbursement
We will prepare the actual-cost application together with you. Freie Universität Berlin is the official applicant; the Erasmus+ coordination team will submit the documents to the National Agency (DAAD) on your behalf.
- Deadline: The complete application must be submitted to the DAAD no later than two months before the start of your trip. We therefore ask you to contact us as early as possible.
- Supporting documents: All claimed additional costs must be clearly justified and documented (e.g. through quotations, price comparisons, or draft bookings).
- Queries: During the review process, short-notice coordination between the DAAD, Freie Universität Berlin, and you may be required.
- Reimbursement after the trip: The final payment will be made after your return, based on the actual expenses incurred and upon submission of all original receipts and proof of payment.
Reimbursement & Experience Report
After completing your stay, two steps are required for the formal closure of the project:
- Proof of costs: Reimbursement of the actual additional costs incurred, based on the collected original receipts and proof of payment
- Experience report: Submission of the mandatory Erasmus+ final report (EU Survey)
Deadline & retention: Please submit all documents no later than two months after the end of your stay. The supporting documents will remain with Freie Universität Berlin and must be retained for any subsequent audits.