Dear student

As of this academic year the learning account comes into effect. The idea is to encourage you to make an informed choice of study. It should also stimulate institutions to monitor their students’ study progress.
You can consult the status of your learning account online at the student portal www.studentenportaal.be. This site provides you with an overview of all your enrolments and will soon display all your results as well. It would be a good idea for you to closely monitor this yourself.
This letter explains how exactly the learning account works.

How does it work?
The learning account is a virtual backpack with credits. As of this academic year, everyone (including students who already follow higher education) receives 140 credits upon their enrolment in Flemish higher education. Each time you enrol in a course component, credits are taken from your backpack. If you pass this particular course component, these credits are accumulated again. If you do not pass or are allowed to pass a course component after deliberation, these credits are deducted from your learning account for good.

For whom?
Learning account is for anyone who has a diploma contract for initial training (Bachelors and Masters) and for any enrolments with a credit contract.

New students?
If you are a higher education student for the first time this academic year, you can benefit from a special regulation if you wish to re-orient. Re-orientation means that you change to another course of study during the academic year. If you do so before 1 December, you will regain all the credits used. If you do so between 1 December and 15 March, you will regain half of them. After 15 March, you will get none of the credits back.

Bonus of 60 credits
The path from secondary to higher education is not always strewn with roses. That is why we have incorporated a measure to remedy this. The first 60 credits you gain are doubled.

Already a student?
Have you already studied in higher education? Just like new students, you will be given a ‘starter backpack’ with 140 credits. The first 60 credits you achieve will be doubled for you as well. We thus do not take your past studies into account. However, each institution defines itself the date until when changes in enrolments have consequences for the learning account.

Finished your training?
After you have obtained a Bachelor’s degree, you will retain your learning account. If you obtain a Master’s degree, the starting capital of 140 credits is deducted. If your study pathway has proceeded without any problems you will be left with 60 credits. If you end up with a learning account below 60, your learning account will be accumulated again to 60 at a rate of 10 credits per academic year.

No more learning account?
If you do not have any learning account left, the institution may refuse to enrol you or ask you to pay a double enrolment fee. 
In certain cases you can accumulate your learning account again.

How much learning account do you have left?
You can consult the status of your learning account, using your electronic ID card or a federal token, at www.studentenportaal.be.

If as a first-time student you wish to change courses (re-orient), it is very important for you to closely monitor the withdrawal from the first course and your enrolment in a new course. As mentioned earlier, there are strict dates which determine whether or not you will regain your learning account.
Students who wish to make changes to their course programme during the academic year or who wish to withdraw are also advised to closely monitor this. The institution itself defines the date until when changes will affect the learning account.
Through the student portal www.studentenportaal.be you can monitor all these changes yourself as a student. If you notice that a change or withdrawal is not indicated (correctly) on this website, you are advised to contact your college of higher education or university as soon as possible to rectify this.

Additional information about the learning account is available at the student portal www.studentenportaal.be or at your college of higher education or university.


Good luck with your studies!