The study voucher system

What is the study voucher system?

- system implemented by the Flemish government- study vouchers =

the total amount of credits that a student can use during his studies for enrolling in an initial bachelor’s or initial master’s programme (diploma contract), or for taking individual course units (credit contract)

- the amount of vouchers fluctuates according to the amount of credits a student enrolls for and the amount of credits he acquires by passing courses

In short, study vouchers are:

• an amount of credits• which are staked when enrolling

for a course / course units• which varies

1. depending on your registering for or withdrawing from a course of course units2. depending on whether you pass your course units or not

The aim of the study voucher system

The study voucher system = a system to monitor study progress

– as a student, you need to make conscious study choices and take responsibility

– the higher education institutions need to offer sound guidance to students

Does everything change?

No: all other decrees and regulations remain

valid, such as the K.U.Leuven education and exam regulations

How to use the study vouchers?

• you stake study vouchers when enrolling for :• initial bachelor’s and initial master’s

programmes with a diploma contract (= the ‘ordinary’ enrolment for a course)

• course units (credit contract)

• you do not need to stake study vouchers for other programmes, such as post-initial master’s or doctoral programmes.

How do you get study vouchers?

• from the academic year 2008-2009 every student will receive study vouchers totalling 140 credits

• every student = every student!including mature students, foreign students, students already enrolled in Flemish higher education, students combining courses, …

How does the amount of vouchers fluctuate?

Basic principle:140 - vouchers staked

+ vouchers earned backearned back = credit earned = course passed with

10 or more out of 20→ tolerated non-passed courses not included! → exemptions have no consequences for the

amount of study vouchers: they are not staked and cannot be earned back

How does the amount of vouchers fluctuate?

+ first 60 credits earned in a diploma contract are doubled (= credit bonus)

(also for students having already studied in higher education, but outside of the study voucher system)

What if I change my study programme?

At K.U.Leuven: - final date of December, 1st, applies to

course units of the 1st semester or for year-long course units

- final date of March, 15th, applies to course units of the 2nd semester

Until these data, changes in the study programme have no influence on the amount of study vouchers: changing your programme in the 2nd semester is therefore possible without staking vouchers

When you graduate from an initial master’s

140 credits are subtracted when you obtain an initial master’s degree

• positive balance → vouchers can be staked in another initial bachelor’s or initial master’s programme.

• balance smaller than 60 → vouchers are built up to an amount of 60 again (at a rate of 10 credits per year)

What if I have insufficient study vouchers?

• if you have insufficient study vouchers, you are still allowed to enrol for the remaining credits

• for the course units for which you do not have vouchers anymore, you can enrol if you justify your situation and if your study track record is evaluated positively

• for the course units for which you do not have vouchers, you pay a higher tuition fee

What if I have no study vouchers anymore?

• if you have no study vouchers anymore, enrolment can be denied

• if, after an application (including a justification) and a positive evaluation of your study track record, you are admitted, you pay higher tuition fees

• exception: you can enrol for an initial master’s programme if you do not have one yet, and if you satisfy the conditions of entry

Example 1: The perfect student

Study voucher

sstart

Vouchers staked

Vouchers

earned

Study vouchers end

2008-09 BA

140 60 60 140 – 60 + (60 x 2) = 200

2009-10 BA

200 60 60 200 – 60 + 60 = 200

2010-11 BA

200 60 60 200 – 60 + 60 = 200

2011-12MA

200 60 60 200 – 60 + 60 =200

240 200 – 140 = 60

Ex. 2: Master with some non-passed credits

Study voucher

sstart

Vouchers staked

Vouchers earned

Study vouchers end

2008-09 BA

140 60 54(6

tolerated)

140 – 60 + (54 x 2) = 188

2009-10 BA

188 60 56(4

tolerated)

188 – 60 +(6 x 2)+ 50

= 190

2010-11 BA

190 60 56(4

tolerated)

190 – 60 + 56 = 186

2011-12MA

186 60 60 186 – 60 + 60 = 186

226(14

tolerated)

186 - 140 = 46

Example 3: A bad start

Vouchersstart

Vouchers staked

Vouchers earned

Study vouchers end

2008 -09 BA

140 60 15 140 – 60 + (15 x 2) = 110

2009-10 BA

110 60 50 110 – 60 + (45 x 2) + 5 = 145

2010-11 BA

145 60 56 + 4 tolerated

145 – 60 + 56 = 141

2011-12 BA

141 55 55 141 – 55 + 55 = 141

2012-13MA

141 60 60 141 – 60 + 60 = 141

236 (4 tolerated)

141 – 140 = 1

Example 4: A student adrift

Study voucher

sstart

Vouchers staked

Vouchers

earned

Study vouchers end

2008-09 BA

140 60 0 140 – 60 = 80

2009-10 BA

80 60 0 80 – 60 = 20

2010-11 BA

20 20 + 40 30 20 – 60 + (30 x 2) = 20

2011-12BA

20 20 + 40 30 20 – 60 + (30 x 2) = 20

2012-13 BA

20 20 + 40 40 20 – 60 + 40 = 0

2013-14

0 … … ………

More information

• website voucher system K.U.Leuven www.kuleuven.be/vouchersystem/

• website Flemish governmentwww.studentenportaal.be