About the Austrian Student Ombuds Office
What do we do?
The Student Ombuds Office
- Examines the concerns brought to its attention, provides assistance, or mediates in individual cases with the appropriate bodies and members of the educational institutions.
- Identifies systemic deficiencies.
- Cooperates with advocacy groups, ombuds offices, and higher education governing bodies.
- Treats all requests confidentially.
For whom?
The Student Ombud’s office provides services to
- students
- prospective students
- applicants
- former students
at public universities, private universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of education.
What is the mission of the Austrian Student Ombuds Office?
Advice
Students may contact the Austrian Student Ombuds Office for information and advice on study, teaching, examination, service and administrative matters at higher education institutions.
Help
If problems arise in any of the above-mentioned areas, the Austrian Student Ombuds Office contacts local officials and works to find solutions.
Mediate
In the case of problems that cannot be solved directly by the institutions or that involve several institutions, the Austrian Student Ombuds Office is available for mediation.
What services do we cover?
- Admission procedures and admissions
- Student mobility
- Study support
- Study conditions
- Examinations
- Recognition of study achievements
- Studying with a disability
- Student housing issues
Where we cannot help, we will try to provide you with information about alternative sources of advice or assistance?
The Student Ombud’s office may not:
- Amend existing regulations (laws, ordinances, decrees),
- Overturn/revise court decisions,
- Intervene in ongoing proceedings,
- Represent students in court.
.
The Student Ombuds Office may make recommendations to an institution but does not have authority to issue directives.
The expiration of the appeal period will not be affected by contacting the Austrian Student Ombuds Office
The Student Ombuds Office at the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research provides advice and assistance.
Mag.a Anna-Katharina Rothwangl
Ombud’s office for Students