The National Audit Office has examined how many students actually receive their entitled support already at the beginning of their studies:<\/p>\n
\u00bbWhen the support is not in place from the start of the programme, it may result in students having more difficulty participating in teaching and therefore being at greater risk of dropping out of their studies,\u00ab writes the National Audit Office.<\/p>\n
It notes that the ministries have been aware of the problems for years, but they have not introduced concrete targets or systematic follow-up to ensure timely support for university students and students in secondary schools.<\/p>\n
The fact that many students have to start their studies without the help they are entitled to is a major issue, according to the Student Council at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH):<\/p>\n
\n
SPS stands for Special Educational Support \u2014 a Danish government scheme to ensure that students with physical or mental disabilities can complete their studies on an equal footing with others.<\/p>\n
The support can include a mentor, academic support teacher, or assistive devices. SPS is granted to students with documented disabilities \u2014 for example, anxiety, autism, ADHD, depression, dyslexia, or visual impairments.<\/p>\n
The application is submitted through the university, which sends it on to the Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK), which makes the decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u00bbSPS is supposed to ensure that everyone can participate on equal terms, on the same start line. And it\u2019s a fundamental principle at university that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue an education \u2014 regardless of whether they have a disability or not,\u00ab says Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg, chair of the Student Council.<\/p>\n
Support should be available at programme start<\/h3>\n
In the report, the National Audit Office emphasises that it is crucial for students to receive the support that matches their needs when they begin their university studies.<\/p>\n
The application for SPS is first submitted to the university and is then processed by the Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK) an agency under the Danish Ministry of Children and Education. Some applications are handled automatically \u2014 for example, in cases of previously diagnosed dyslexia \u2014 but most cases are assessed manually, and this can lead to delays.<\/p>\n
The National Audit Office concludes that the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Ministry of Children and Education have not, to a \u00bbsufficient degree\u00ab, ensured that students receive the support at the time they need it \u2014 that is, when they start their programme.<\/p>\n
The report also criticises the ministries for not following up on whether, and when, the support is actually delivered to students.<\/p>\n
A serious issue<\/h3>\n
According to Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg of the Student Council, SPS is the most frequently raised issue when students approach them.<\/p>\n
\u00bbThe SPS system hasn\u2019t worked for years. It\u2019s by far the most common type of enquiry we get. Many students either don\u2019t get the right kind of support recommended by their doctor or psychiatrist. But we also hear from students who simply can\u2019t navigate the system or access the resources they need.\u00ab<\/p>\n
The number of students receiving SPS at universities has nearly doubled over the past four years. In 2020, 5,103 students received support. In 2024, that number was 10,109.<\/p>\n
The biggest increase is in the number of students with dyslexia or mental health conditions.<\/p>\n
\u00bbWhen the need for support grows, the system must be able to keep up \u2014 and it can\u2019t today. Nor will it be able to if the government follows through on its plan to cut the financial support universities receive per student,\u00ab says Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg.<\/p>\n
The National Audit Office recommends that the ministries set targets to ensure SPS is granted appropriately and follow up on whether the support is effective.<\/p>\n
This summer, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science announced that from 2027, universities will take over parts of the SPS scheme and manage it themselves. However, neither the financial framework nor the specific parameters of the transition have yet been decided.<\/p>\n
This article was first written in Danish and published on 9 October 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
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Support for students with disabilities arrives too late \u2014 ministries criticised \u2014 University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/support-for-students-with-disabilities-arrives-too-late-ministries-criticised\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Support for students with disabilities arrives too late \u2014 ministries criticised \u2014 University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Students with support needs should get help from day one \u2014 but they don\u2019t. Government criticised by national auditor.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/support-for-students-with-disabilities-arrives-too-late-ministries-criticised\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-10T01:09:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-14T04:46:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dsc392712048x1403.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1403\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Maria Brus Pedersen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" 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photo: Students on the steps of the central Frue Plads square."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Due diligence","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>51 per cent of students who are entitled to physical or mental disability support when they start a higher education programme in Denmark do not receive it on time.<\/p>\n<p>This is according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.dk\/statsrevisor\/20251\/beretning\/sb1\/bilag\/1\/3076201.pdf\">a new report by the Danish National Audit Office <em>Rigsrevisionen<\/em><\/a>, which criticises two separate ministries’\u00a0administration of the so-called SPS scheme which supports vulnerable students.<\/p>\n<p>The National Audit Office has examined how many students actually receive their entitled support already at the beginning of their studies:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen the support is not in place from the start of the programme, it may result in students having more difficulty participating in teaching and therefore being at greater risk of dropping out of their studies,\u00ab writes the National Audit Office.<\/p>\n<p>It notes that the ministries have been aware of the problems for years, but they have not introduced concrete targets or systematic follow-up to ensure timely support for university students and students in secondary schools.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that many students have to start their studies without the help they are entitled to is a major issue, according to the Student Council at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH):<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">WHAT IS SPS?<\/p>\n<p>SPS stands for Special Educational Support \u2014 a Danish government scheme to ensure that students with physical or mental disabilities can complete their studies on an equal footing with others.<\/p>\n<p>The support can include a mentor, academic support teacher, or assistive devices. SPS is granted to students with documented disabilities \u2014 for example, anxiety, autism, ADHD, depression, dyslexia, or visual impairments.<\/p>\n<p>The application is submitted through the university, which sends it on to the Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK), which makes the decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00bbSPS is supposed to ensure that everyone can participate on equal terms, on the same start line. And it\u2019s a fundamental principle at university that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue an education \u2014 regardless of whether they have a disability or not,\u00ab says Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg, chair of the Student Council.<\/p>\n<h3>Support should be available at programme start<\/h3>\n<p>In the report, the National Audit Office emphasises that it is crucial for students to receive the support that matches their needs when they begin their university studies.<\/p>\n<p>The application for SPS is first submitted to the university and is then processed by the Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK) an agency under the Danish Ministry of Children and Education. Some applications are handled automatically \u2014 for example, in cases of previously diagnosed dyslexia \u2014 but most cases are assessed manually, and this can lead to delays.<\/p>\n<p>The National Audit Office concludes that the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Ministry of Children and Education have not, to a \u00bbsufficient degree\u00ab, ensured that students receive the support at the time they need it \u2014 that is, when they start their programme.<\/p>\n<p>The report also criticises the ministries for not following up on whether, and when, the support is actually delivered to students.<\/p>\n<h3>A serious issue<\/h3>\n<p>According to Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg of the Student Council, SPS is the most frequently raised issue when students approach them.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThe SPS system hasn\u2019t worked for years. It\u2019s by far the most common type of enquiry we get. Many students either don\u2019t get the right kind of support recommended by their doctor or psychiatrist. But we also hear from students who simply can\u2019t navigate the system or access the resources they need.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>The number of students receiving SPS at universities has nearly doubled over the past four years. In 2020, 5,103 students received support. In 2024, that number was 10,109.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest increase is in the number of students with dyslexia or mental health conditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen the need for support grows, the system must be able to keep up \u2014 and it can\u2019t today. Nor will it be able to if the government follows through on its plan to cut the financial support universities receive per student,\u00ab says Anton Stubbe Teglbj\u00e6rg.<\/p>\n<p>The National Audit Office recommends that the ministries set targets to ensure SPS is granted appropriately and follow up on whether the support is effective.<\/p>\n<p>This summer, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science announced that from 2027, universities will take over parts of the SPS scheme and manage it themselves. However, neither the financial framework nor the specific parameters of the transition have yet been decided.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 9 October 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":42,"name":"Education","slug":"education","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":42,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":661,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11485,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dsc3927-1-1280x877.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182412"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182527,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182412\/revisions\/182527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}