Regulation Graduation Support

a.

The act: the Higher Education and Research Act, abbreviated to WHW.

b.

WSF2000: the Student Finance Act 2000 (Staatsblad 286, 13-7-2000).

c.

University Council: the University Council of the University of Twente.

d.

Executive Board (CvB): the Executive Board (Dutch: College van Bestuur) of the University of Twente, charged with granting graduation support to those people entitled to the support.

e.

CVA: the Committee Graduation Support as it has been set up as an authorised committee by the CvB by decision of 10 September 2001.

f.

FEZ: the service department Financial and Economic Affairs of the University of Twente.

g.

DUO: Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (responsible for the implementation Dutch student grants).

h.

Person involved: the person who reports or has reported a delaying circumstance or who submits or has submitted a request for graduation support.

i.

Student: he who is enrolled as a student at the University of Twente.

j.

Graduation support: the financial support granted to a student by the CvB on the basis of this regulation.

k.

Person entitled to support: the student who has been granted graduation support by the CvB on the basis of this regulation.

l.

Size of support: graduation support expressed in months, based on recognised delay.

m.

Recognised delay: the number of months the person involved has been delayed as a consequence of circumstances recognised by the law.

n.

Recognised circumstance: the circumstances referred to in appendices A and B of this regulation.

o.

Final examination: the examination, referred to in article 7.10 paragraph 2 of the law, being the situation that all examination components have been successfully completed.

p.

Studiefinanciering: the by the DUO issued student grants in connection with enrolment in an educational programme in higher education; right to which exists only on the basis of WSF2000.

q.

Blended studiefinanciering: studiefinanciering issued by the IBG for the duration of the course consisting of basisbeurs (basic grant) and (possible) supplementary grant and loan.

r.

ECTS: European Credit Transfer System (abbreviate to EC = creditsystem)

1.

Students can be entitled to graduation support if it has been determined by the CvB that one or more of the recognised circumstances, as mentioned in appendices A and B, have taken place.

2.

If a student wishes to receive graduation support on the basis of a function disorder or handicap he first has to have used the possibility of extension of blended studiefinanciering issued by the IBG, before appealing to the supplementary graduation support possible under the UT’s Regulation Graduation Support.

3.

If a student wishes to receive graduation support on the basis of fulfilling a position as referred to in article 7.51.7 of the WHW, in this case an administrative function in a national society, the request has to be submitted to the organisation appointed by the ministry to implement this article.

4.

A right to graduation support within the framework of the Regulation Graduation Support, on the basis of study delay through special circumstances, because of circumstances 1a, 1b, 1c, 1g and 1h, mentioned in Appendix A, can only result - except the situation described in article 3.6 - because of circumstances that have occurred during the period in which the person involved received blended studiefinanciering. In addition, the student should have been enrolled as a student and paid tuition fees at the UT.

1.

The recognised delay for involuntary circumstances (Appendix A, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f and 1h) is equal to the sum of the following formula:

2.

The size of the support for involuntary circumstances is equal to the number of months for which the recognised delay of the student has been determined, possibly while subtracting delay not due to the recognised circumstance.

3.

If a request has been submitted regarding recognised voluntary delay (1a and 1b, mentioned in Appendix A) for which a fixed term applies under appendix B, the size of the support is determined to be the number of months of the fixed term.

4.

The total size of the support amounts to terms granted because of point 1a (in case of the board membership of a student’s organisation of any size with full legal rights) and 1b of Appendix A as well as the regulation Support Scheme for Top-Level Sport and Top-level Arts, together a maximum of 24 months.

5.

When voluntary recognised delay (as referred to in paragraph 3) occurs simultaneously with other recognised, involuntary, delay, these will not be counted twice with regard to the number of recognisable months graduation support.

a.

A part equal to the basic grant, which the person entitled to support has received within the framework of the WSF or WSF2000 during the recognised delay period.

b.

A part equal to the supplementary grant that the person entitled to support has received within the framework of the WSF or WSF2000 during the recognised delay period.

1.

When applying for graduation support the following rules have to be followed:

a.

The boards of societies, organisation (or recognised committee) which is eligible for a term of collective fixed support in months, have to send to the CVA the full composition of the board and division of the number of months allocated to them over the board functions and the subcommittees annually within three months after the end of each board period (t.w. the reference month as agreed with the societies). This submission by the society is regarded as the request by the student. The entire board, including members who have not submitted an application for graduation months, must confirm that the members in question have performed the job during the entire period indicated. In addition, the board must confirm that the allocated months indicated for individual members are in accordance with the total number of graduation months available to the board and the actual work performed by individual members of the board. Finally, the board must confirm that the allocated number of graduation months is in line with the efforts made by individual members of the board.
The submission should be accompanied by a statement from the DUO for each student, which shows the studiefinanciering entitlements for each student for the period submitted.
Exceeding the application period of three months with one month is allowed; a reduction of 25% of the amount of the graduation support will be imposed.

b.

Students who fulfill more the one year in succession the same function recognised in Category 5 or 6 (division in appendix B), has to send there application within three months after the end of each board period.

c.

The student who wants to submit a request for graduation support on the basis of insufficient educational feasibility of a section (study period, trimester, or semester) of his study programme, has to do this at the latest within three months after the end of the period in which the insufficient educational feasibility has occurred.

1.

The student hands in an application to the CVA. The programme director of the educational programme in question receives a copy of the students’ written explanation submitted with this application.

2.

The student will receive a request of the CVA for information about any agreements made with the programme director to prevent further delay.

3.

The student will receive a copy of the letter from the programme director to the CVA, in which he states his view on the situation forwarded by the student.

4.

The CVA will judge the application and responses.

5.

If necessary, judged by the CVA, a hearing will take place in which both the student as the programme director will amplify there reactions. Both the student as the programme director receives an invitation for this. In this hearing the CVA will ask additional questions.

6.

If a hearing took place, both the student as the programme director will receive a brief report of the hearing.

7.

The CVA will decide the whether or not the application based on insufficient educational feasibility will be granted.

d.

The student who wishes to apply for graduation support for any other reasons than the ones mentioned above, for example because of illness of special family circumstances and for society board activities with an allocation per person should do this at the latest within three months after the end of the recognised circumstance on the ground of which he wishes to apply.
In addition, the general rule is applicable that in case of special circumstances (i.g. illness or family circumstances) which last longer than three months, the student should report this to the student counsellor or study advisor.
The report should occur within three months after the delay has taken place.
If the report was not made to the student counselor, an appointment with the student counselor must been made before submitting the application.
The CVA can decide not to grant support if the reported was not made (on time).

2.

The circumstances reported have to warrant at least a term of one month graduation support. Applications can only be submitted by using a form that can be obtained from the information desk student counselling. The application should be accompanied by the documents, relevant to the delaying circumstance, to prove it to the satisfaction of the CVA.

3.

Incomplete applications will not be taken under consideration. The person involved will be enabled to correct an omission.

4.

The applicant has the obligation to supply all the information requested by the CVA in connection with the assessment of the application to the CVA. The student will also supply his bank account number and – if he does not want a transfer in one lump sum – lets it be known in how many instalments he wants to receive the graduation support.

5.

If the person involved submits a request on the grounds of illness, function disorder, or handicap the CVA will request a declaration from the attending physician or therapist that demonstrates the nature and the duration of this circumstance. If the attending physician refuses to supply a declaration the student physician at the UT can be asked for a declaration.

6.

The payment of the allocated graduation support is done for each recognised circumstance in the form of a lump sum, unless the student explicitly requests otherwise.

1.

When sending the judgment on behalf of the CvB as referred to in article 7 the applicant is alerted to the fact that objections can be lodged at the Complaints Desk UT concerning the judgment. The objection has to be lodged within 6 weeks after the day in which the judgment has been sent to the applicant.

2.

The Complaints Desk UT acknowledges in writing the receipt of an objection as referred to in the first paragraph. The CvB decides, after advice of the Arbitration Committee, within ten weeks after the day in which the objection has been received.

3.

When sending the judgment concerning the objection the applicant is alerted to the fact that he can enter an appeal to the judgment to the Higher Education Appeals Tribunal within six weeks after the day on which the judgment was sent to the applicant as referred to in article 7.64 of the act.

4.

Chapters 6 and 7 of the General Administrative Law Act apply.