Leave to follow a course

If you work in the public sector, you can request study leave from the Flemish government. This leave scheme allows you to be absent from work for a given period to follow a course of education while keeping your salary.

For what type of programme?

Study leave was created for students who are following a study path, such as a bachelor’s programme in evening classes. To qualify for the benefit the programme must be in line with your professional activity and/or add value for your department or agency.

Conditions and application procedure

Conditions and application procedure

There are no strict rules on the type or duration of the programme. Your manager decides whether to grant leave, and how many hours or days will be granted, depending on the budget and organisational possibilities.

Want to know more about the conditions of educational leave and the application procedure? They vary from one government department to another.

How to request study leave for a VUB programme?

Register attendance

How to register attendance on a VUB programme?

For each programme component you will need to keep an attendance list. You will need to have this signed by the lecturer at the end of each contact lesson. The document shows how many contact lessons there were and how many lessons you attended or missed with or without authorisation.

You send the lists along with any attendance certificates digitally via e-mail to werkstudent@vub.be by 30 June. They will have the documents signed by the rector, after which you will be given a certificate of attendance. This is intended for your employer.

Temporary change of work hours for study purposes

As a federal public servant you have the option to interrupt or reduce your work hours for study purposes through a career break (full break, half-time work, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3) while receiving a monthly replacement income. You apply for a career break through your personnel department, For the career break benefit, contact the National Employment Office.

As an employee of the Flemish government you can temporarily interrupt or reduce your work hours (full break, half-time or 1/5 working) by taking Flemish care credit. This will give you the time to follow an accredited programme while receiving a monthly benefit.  

Financial support

If you live and work in Flanders or Brussels, you can, under certain conditions, apply to the Flemish government for training vouchers.

In some circumstances you may also be entitled to a scholarship from the Flemish Government. To qualify you will need to meet a number of nationality, study and financial conditions. Age is not important.

Extra VUB financial support

Are these government grants insufficient to cover the costs of your study? Make an appointment with Social, Legal and Financial support to discuss your options.