Frequently asked questions about SPS

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions about Special Educational Assistance (SPS).  

About Special Educational Assistance (SPS)

  • SPS is an abbreviation for Special Educational Support (Specialpædagogisk Støtte), and is an arrangement in order to make sure, that you can complete an education on the same terms as your fellow students – even though you have a disability.

    SPS is for students, who:

    • Have a mental disability
    • Have a physical disability
    • Have dyslexia
    • Have dyscalculia

    As such if you have one of the above-mentioned disabilities, you have the option of applying for variant kinds of aids or a professional support teacher through the SPS-arrangement.

    The support is targeted at the individual. SPS is only granted in relation specifically to your current study programme. Therefore, you cannot get support for e.g. transport, living expenses or tutoring. We also do not provide support for treatments.

    For your information: all SPS-counsellors have a duty to maintain confidentiality, and it will not appear on your diploma, if you have received SPS. 

  • A disability is for instance: 

    • Reading/writing difficulties
    • Psychological difficulties
    • Neurological difficulties
    • Motor difficulties
    • Visual handicaps
    • Hearing handicaps

    If you are in doubt whether you can receive SPS or not, please reach out to your SPS-counsellor. You can find your SPS-counsellor here.

  • Examples of SPS are e.g. an IT-starting package with a computer (a computer is only granted, if you can argue for why you are not able to get a computer by yourself) including dyslexia programmes, or, it can be a complete programme package with the dyslexia programmes, that you must install on your own computer. 

    It can also be support from a mentor or a professional support teacher, student support hours with a writing-/reading-counsellor, online library with both e-books as well as audio books.

    Furthermore, the support can also be ergonomic aids, secretarial help, practical help, and hearing aids, having a contact to a hearing consultant, interpreter and aids for the visually impaired.

    The support depends on your disability and needs for support. Please reach out to your SPS-counsellor in order to clarify what kind of support you can get.

  • Yes – to receive SPS, you must: 

    • Be enrolled at an SU-entitled education. You cannot receive SPS for programmes under the Executive Order on Open Education
    • You must have a permanent disability in such a degree, that you need the support in order to complete the study programme and in cases where it is possible to compensate for the disability
    • Be a Danish citizen or have achieved equal status with a Danish citizen, e.g. a student from Scandinavia or the EU
    • Be active in your education
    • Be in the possession of documentation for your disability, e.g. dyslexia test results, doctor, doctor with a specialty or a journal from the hospital)

  • Reach out to your SPS-counsellor, who can help you with your application. You can find your SPS-counsellor here.

  • If you have a documented physical or mental disability, you have the possibility of getting special conditions during exams, according to the Executive Order for Exams § 21.

    What conditions you can get varies from programme to programme, and we therefore recommend that you contact your student- or SPS-counsellor to learn more on this matter. You can find your SPS-counsellor here.

    You can also find more information on special conditions during an exam at Studynet under the tab marked ‘Study administration’. 

  • Dyslexia often appears in one or more of the following ways: 

    • Fatigue and/or difficulties concentrating, when reading or writing
    • Reduced reading speed
    • Spelling errors – e.g. missing or wrong endings to the words and reversing letters
    • Difficulties to maintain a sentence in your mind, while you are writing it.
    • Difficulties learning a new language – e.g. English or German. 

    If you can recognize one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might be dyslexic. 

    If you are wondering if you might be dyslexia, we recommend applying for a test for dyslexia.

    Therefore, we suggest you contact your SPS-counsellor as soon as possible, so we can get the process started. 

  • Please contact your SPS-counsellor, who can check if we have the papers in the system already. 

  • Dyscalculia often appears in one or more of the following ways: 
    • Difficulties reading and writing numbers
    • Difficulties putting individual digits together in order to form a number (and/or switching the order)
    • Standard calculation processes: The 4 types of calculations – addition/subtraction/multiplication/division – are difficult to do
    • Difficulties solving mathematical problems, where you have to relate to both text as well as formulas and do your own calculations (maintain the purpose of the subject at hand)
    • Difficulties assessing time consumption/time management
    • Weakened sense of place and direction
    • Difficulties remembering the difference between right and left

    If you can recognize one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might have dyscalculia. 

    Please contact your SPS-counsellor, who can help determine if you should take a test for dyscalculia.

    Note! It is only necessary to contact your SPS-counsellor regarding dyscalculia, if calculus/mathematics is an important part of your study programme. 

  • In order to apply for SPS, we need documentation of your disability. E.g. a doctor’s note confirming your diagnosis, documentation from a doctor with a specialty or documentation from www.sundhed.dk. 

    If in doubt, please contact your SPS-counsellor. 

  • Start off by contacting your SPS-counsellor at VIA, who can make a new application for SPS. This is also the way to go, if you have IT-equipment from a previous education and you do not want any other assistive devices.

    The SPS-counsellor can help get your IT-equipment transferred in the SPS-system from your previous education. 

  • In order to receive your IT-equipment, you must fill out a loan declaration, which the SPS-counsellor will send to you. Afterwards a link will be sent to your VIA-mail, or you will be notified of when and where you can pick up the parcel at your campus.

    If you need a scanner pen or hand scanner, you must talk to your SPS-counsellor first.

  • If you are experiencing problems with your IT-equipment, you must contact the supplier directly. The supplier is ATEA and can be reached at:

    E-mail: servicedesk@atea.dk

    Phone: +45 7021 1286

  • You have to send the IT-equipment back to the supplier ATEA by yourself. You can contact them in order to receive a return form:

    E-mail: servicedesk@atea.dk

    Phone: +45 7021 1286

  • Unfortunately, it is not possible to receive SPS for programs under the Executive Order on Open Education. SPS is only granted for study programmes, where it is possible to receive SU. 

  • Yes, you can still contact an SPS-counsellor. Together you can clarify when the best time to make your application is, and what it must contain. 

    You can find your SPS-counsellor here.

  • The Agency for Education and Quality (Styrelsen for Undervisning og Kvalitet/STUK) have a website (in Danish) of their own, where you can learn more about SPS.

    Otherwise you are always welcome to contact your SPS-counsellor at VIA to find out more about SPS.

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