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The study voucher system
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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 bachelors or initial masters 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

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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 units
• 2. depending on whether you pass your course
  units or not

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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

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Does everything change?

• No
• all other decrees and regulations remain valid,
  such as the K.U.Leuven education and exam
  regulations

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How to use the study vouchers?

• you stake study vouchers when enrolling for
• initial bachelors and initial masters
  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 masters or
  doctoral programmes.

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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,

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How does the amount of vouchers fluctuate?

• Basic principle
• 140 - vouchers staked
• vouchers earned back
• earned 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

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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)

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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

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When you graduate from an initial masters

• 140 credits are subtracted when you obtain an
  initial masters degree
• positive balance ? vouchers can be staked in
  another initial bachelors or initial masters
  programme.
• balance smaller than 60 ? vouchers are built up
  to an amount of 60 again (at a rate of 10 credits
  per year)

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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

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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 masters
  programme if you do not have one yet, and if you
  satisfy the conditions of entry

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Example 1 The perfect student
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Ex. 2 Master with some non-passed credits
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Example 3 A bad start
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Example 4 A student adrift
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More information

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