The following reasons for which the applicant is not personally responsible and which prevented him/her from achieving a better average mark may be taken into account:

1. special social reasons

1.1 Special health reasons:

1.1.1. prolonged absence from classes due to illness during the three years preceding the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification (specialist medical certificate).
1.1.2. severe disability of 50 or more per cent (severely disabled person's certificate or notice of assessment from the pension office).
1.1.3. prolonged serious illness, insofar as not covered by No. 1.1.1. or 1.1.2. (specialist medical certificate).
1.1.4 Other comparable special health reasons (specialist medical opinion).
1.1.5 Pregnancy of applicants during the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification (specialist medical certificate or birth certificate of the child).

1.2 Special economic reasons (documents suitable for proof).

1.3 Other comparable special social reasons (documents suitable for proof). 2.

2. special family reasons

2.1 Care of own minor children in the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification, if other persons were not available for this purpose (birth certificates of the children in connection with suitable proof that other persons were not available for care - e.g. certificate of the social welfare office).

2.2 Care of relatives in the ascending line in need of care or of siblings in the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification, if other persons were not available for care (specialist medical certificate on the need for care in connection with suitable proof that other persons were not available for care - e. g. certificate from the social welfare office).

2.3 Care of unprovided for minor siblings who lived with the applicant in a domestic community during the last three years before acquiring the higher education entrance qualification, if other persons were not available to provide care (birth certificates of the siblings in conjunction with suitable evidence that other persons were not available to provide care - e. g. certificate from the social welfare office).

2.4 Loss of one parent in the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification or loss of both parents before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification, provided that the applicant was single at that time and had not yet reached the age of 25 (death certificates of the parents and declaration of marital status at that time).

2.5 Multiple changes of school in the last three years before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification due to relocation of the parents (leaving certificates as well as registration certificates of the parents).

2.6 Other comparable special family reasons (suitable documents to prove this). 3.

3. membership of the A, B or C squad of the national sports associations of at least one year's uninterrupted duration during the last three years prior to the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification (certificate of the responsible national sports association).

4. other comparable special reasons (suitable documents to prove this).

In the following cases, the application is generally unsuccessful:

Unfounded applications under 2.6. (Other comparable special family reasons):

• Collaboration during school time in the parental household, business or enterprise, without an emergency situation having forced this.
• Illness of the parents.
• Loss of a parent or other close relative before acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification, unless No. 2.4 applies.
• Divorce or falling out of love between parents.
• Relocation of the parents within the last three years prior to the acquisition of the higher education entrance qualification.

Unfounded applications under 4. (Other comparable special reasons):

• Alleged disadvantage because of attending a Gymnasium of a certain type or taking a non-pupil entrance qualification examination.
• Alleged disadvantage because of taking the Abitur in a country with a central Abitur.
• Attending a school where there was poor space or a shortage of teachers.
• Claiming to have been disadvantaged by unfair assessment.
• Illness in the baccalaureate examination.
• Long and time-consuming journey to school.
• Participation in an exchange programme.
• Participation in the student council.

Principles for the preparation of school reports on applications for disadvantage compensation

In order to ensure that the schools from which expert opinions are requested on applications for compensation for disadvantages in selection according to the degree of qualification proceed according to comparable standards, the following principles should be observed in the preparation of such expert opinions:

1. the decision as to whether the school at which the higher education entrance qualification was obtained shall issue an expert opinion on an application for compensation for disadvantages in selection according to the degree of qualification shall be made by the head of the school at its due discretion. The school may refuse to issue an expert opinion; it will refuse in particular if the findings necessary for the expert opinion cannot be made due to a lack of knowledge about the person to be assessed (e.g. too short a period of membership of the school). 2.

The school report to be signed by the head teacher must contain:

a) a brief description of the pupil's school career;
b) a statement of the nature and duration of the reasons for any impairment of performance for which the school is not responsible; the school must confine itself to proven facts;
c) a statement of the identifiable and credible effects of those reasons on performance in each subject in the judgement of the subject teachers concerned;
d) a clause stating that the report is only intended for submission to the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences and may only be used for that purpose.

3. if the school is convinced that the asserted (not self-reliant) special reasons have led to an impairment of academic performance, it must be credibly established, taking into account the overall development of performance over many years, within which range a better grade or a higher score could have been expected without that impairment for each subject under consideration. The range resulting from this for the higher education entrance qualification, within which the better overall average mark or higher overall score would then have been, shall be stated. 4.

4. an expert opinion may only be based on general facts of experience if minor differences in performance are attested. The requirements for a conclusive presentation of the interdependencies must increase with the certified range of grades or scores. 5.

If necessary and possible in individual cases, a school psychologist working at the school or responsible for the school may be consulted in the preparation of the report.

The following reasons, which lie within the applicant's own person and are not his/her own fault, and which prevented the applicant from obtaining the higher education entrance qualification at an earlier point in time, may be taken into account in particular:

1. special social reasons

1.1 Special health reasons:

1.1.1 Prolonged absence from classes due to illness (specialist medical reports).
1.1.2 Severe disability of 50 or more per cent (identity card or notice of assessment from the pension office).
1.1.3 Prolonged severe disability or illness, unless covered by numbers 1.1.1 or 1.1.2 (specialist medical certificate).
1.1.4 Other comparable special health reasons (expert medical opinion).
1.1.5 Pregnancy of applicants during their time at school (specialist medical certificate or birth certificate of the child).

1.2 Special economic circumstances (documents suitable for proof).

1.3 Other comparable special social circumstances (documents suitable for proof).

2 . Special family reasons

2.1 Care of own minor children during school years (birth certificates of the children).

2.2 Care of relatives in the ascending line or of siblings in need of care during their own school years (specialist medical certificate on the need for care in conjunction with suitable evidence that other persons were not available to provide care, e. g. certificate from the social welfare office).

2.3 Care of unprovided for minor siblings who lived with the applicant in the same household during the applicant's own school years (birth certificates of the siblings in conjunction with suitable evidence that other persons were not available to provide care, e. g. certificate from the social welfare office).

2.4 Loss of one parent or loss of both parents before acquiring the higher education entrance qualification, provided that the applicant was single at that time and had not yet reached the age of 25 (death certificates of parents and declaration of marital status at that time).

2.5 Multiple changes of school due to relocation of parents (leaving certificates as well as registration certificates of the parents).

2.6 Other comparable special reasons (documents suitable for proof, which may be considered, are e. g.: Applicant had previously aspired to the desired course of study and demonstrably worked towards it. However, the education had to be postponed in consideration of special family obligations, for example, because own minor children had to be cared for or because employment was necessary in order to finance the studies of the spouse without recourse to state support).

3. membership in the A, B or C squad of the national sports federations for an uninterrupted period of at least one year (certificate from the responsible national sports federation).

4. other comparable special reasons (suitable documents as proof).