Refused admission and appeal
Are you interested in enrolling in higher education? You have until 31 October of the academic year to apply for enrolment or admission at the institution of your choice, in accordance with the institution's study regulations1.
If you do not meet all the conditions for access to studies or do not comply with the provisions of the study regulations, the academic authorities of the institution may notify you of a decision to reject your application for enrolment or admission. It is important to note that this decision for inadmissibility is not a rejection of enrolment.
Inadmissibility can be challenged by submitting an appeal to the Government Commissioner or Delegate of your higher education establishment. The Government Commissioner or Delegate may, on documented reasons, overturn the decision of inadmissibility and confirm your enrolment.
Contact details for the Government Commissioners and Delegates are available on their websites. The procedure for submitting an appeal is specified in the Decree of the Government of the French Community of 2 September 2015, which defines the procedure applicable to the appeals referred to in Articles 95 and 102, as well as to the opinion referred to in Article 96 of the Decree of 7 November 2013 defining the higher education landscape and the academic organisation of studies.
*Article 95 of the Decree of 7 November 2013 defining the higher education landscape and the academic organisation of studies.
1.Article 101(1) of the Decree of 7 November 2013 defining the higher education landscape and the academic organisation of studies:
You have not received a decision from the institution regarding your application for enrolment or admission by 31 October? You can also appeal to the Government Commissioner or Delegate at the higher education establishment.
Contact details for the Government Commissioners and Delegates can be found on the www.comdel.be website.
The procedure to submit this appeal is detailed in the decree of the Government of the French Community of 2 September 2015, which defines the procedure applicable to the appeals referred to in articles 95 and 102, as well as to the opinion referred to in article 96 of the decree of 7 November 2013 defining the higher education landscape and the academic organisation of studies.
Pending the outcome of this appeal, you will be able to benefit from provisional registration until your appeal is resolved.
Your enrolment or application for admission may be refused by institutions in certain situations:
- if you are not eligible for funding;
- if your application is for studies that are not eligible for funding;
- if you have been expelled from a higher education institution for serious fault during the previous three academic years.
However, institutions are also free to accept applications despite these circumstances.
Please note that if you have been excluded from a higher education institution for reasons of registration fraud or evaluation fraud during the previous three academic years, your application for enrolment or admission will be refused directly.
Notification of refusal of enrolment
You will be notified of the decision to refuse enrolment either by registered letter, by hand delivery against receipt, or by e-mail to the e-mail address you have provided, or, in the case of re-enrolment, by e-mail to the e-mail address provided by the school.
This notification must be made no later than 15 days after receipt of the final application for enrolment.
Internal appeal
If your application is rejected, you have the right to appeal against the decision. The internal appeal must be lodged in accordance with the internal appeal procedure set out in the school's study regulations. If the internal appeal is rejected, you may appeal externally.
External appeal
In the event that the internal appeal is rejected, the decision can be appealed by registered letter or by e-mail (recours(at)ceperi.be) within 15 days (this period begins on the third working day following the date of notification of the rejection of the internal appeal). The appeal must be sent to the Commission d'examen des plaintes d'étudiants relatives à un refus d'inscription (CEPERI) set up within the Académie de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur (ARES) at the following address:
Research and Higher Education Academy (ARES)
Secretariat of the Commission for the Examination of Student Complaints concerning Refusal of Enrolment (CEPERI)
Rue Royale 180 (5th floor)
1000 Brussels
The Commission examines the appeal and may invalidate the refusal of enrolment if relevant factors were not taken into account in the internal appeal. It gives its decision within fifteen working days of receipt of the complaint, with the exception of suspension periods, i.e. between 24 December and 1 January and between 15 July and 15 August.
All information relating to this Commission is available on the ARES website.
For your enrolment to be taken into account, you must pay the balance of the enrolment fee by 1 February of the current academic year at the latest, or at the time of enrolment if it is later. In the event of non-payment, except in cases of force majeure, the school will notify you of its decision and you will no longer have access to learning and evaluation activities from that date. In addition, you will not be able to take part in any deliberations or benefit from any deferral or credit enhancement. However, you will still be considered to have been enrolled for the academic year.
If you have submitted an application for a study grant and have not received it by1 February, you will continue to have access to learning activities, to be considered by the examination board and to benefit from the carry over or recognition of credits. If the grant is denied, you will have 30 days as of the notification of the refusal by the study grant department of the French Community to pay the balance of your tuition fees. If you fail to do so, the establishment will notify you of a decision stipulating that you no longer have access to learning activities, you will not be considered by the examination board or benefit from any carry over or recognition of credits. However, you are still considered to have been enrolled for the academic year.
If you disagree with the decision of the academic authorities, you may appeal to the Government Commissioner or Delegate at the higher education establishment. If the Government Commissioner or Delegate considers that there are well-founded reasons for reviewing the decision of the academic authorities, he may overturn their decision and confirm your enrolment.
Contact details for the Government Commissioners and Delegates can be found on thewww.comdel.be page.
The procedure for submitting an appeal is specified in the decree of the Government of the French Community of 2 September 2015, which defines the procedure applicable to the appeals referred to in articles 95 and 102, as well as to the opinion referred to in article 96 of the decree of 7 November 2013 defining the higher education landscape and the academic organisation of studies.