Social Service

Do you need financial, administrative or relational support?

Social Service

Student welfare officer: France Demeure

Tel: 0473/83.29.25

Email: france.demeure(Remplacez cette parenthèse par le signe @)adm.heaj.be

The Social Service aims to promote student welfare. This is why the student welfare officer, Ms France Demeure, is available for any administrative (e.g.: how to get back family allowance, how to ask the CPAS – Belgian welfare office – for a minimum guaranteed income, how to obtain a grant from the Belgian French community, what steps to take to obtain the recognition of qualifications,…), relationship (need to confide), or financial problem (e.g.: difficulties to pay for school materials,…).

Financial support

Requirements

• You are a grant holder;
• You are not a grand holder but you satisfy the financial requirements to receive a grant at the time of the request for financial support;
• You come from a household with only one income;
• You receive a minimum guaranteed income or unemployment benefits;
• You come from a large family;
• You or a family member are faced with a health problem putting a strain on the family budget;
• Your family is in a process of debt mediation;
• You are forced to find another accommodation than your family home;
• You have important travel costs;
• You or your family circle are faced with important, unforeseen or unexpected expenses;
• Unexpected deterioration of your own or your family’s financial or social situation;
• You are faced with important expenses linked with mobility;
• You are recognized as a student with low income.

Procedure

As soon as a student is officially registered (i.e. has completed the registration file with the secretariat and paid the registration fees), he or she can contact the student welfare officer.

In two meetings, they will define together the necessary budget for the academic year and how to cope with it. On the basis of the documents provided by the student, the student welfare officer will set up an anonymous case that will be presented in the next meeting of the Conseil Social (Financial Support Committee). A specific amount of money will then be granted to the student (in the form of a donation or of a grant advance).

Frequently asked questions

As a foreign student, what health care coverage can I benefit from?

Except for French students who can be covered in France until they are 20, each student must have a health care insurance in Belgium. The basic student contribution covers the partial repayment of the services offered by a contracted doctor and of medicine. Several kinds of mutual health insurance companies offer this coverage but in general they are all the same. You only have to choose between the neutral, socialist, Christian,… insurance company.

For example the socialist health insurance offers a basic registration for 7€ per month.

I have difficulties paying for my studies, what grants can I receive?

Depending on your nationality, your place of residence and your income there are several possible grants and you can combine them. Here are a few examples:

• grant from the “service des allocations d’études de la Communauté française”
• grant from the Crous in France
• grants for work placements abroad
• welfare support from the school
• grant for students domiciled in the province of Brabant
• grant from the CAN (National Broadcasting Centre)
• …

In order to ensure you meet the requirements to benefit from these grants, you are advised to contact the student welfare officer of the Haute Ecole.

What do I have to do to introduce a request for financial help to the Financial Support Committee of the Haute Ecole?

You just have to contact the student welfare officer, France Demeure, and bring evidence of your financial resources. There will be two meetings:

First an individual discussion to get a global understanding of your situation and to determine the support you need and possible resource persons;

Then a second meeting where you will provide the additional documents that are required to complete your case.

How can I meet the student welfare officer?

At the beginning of the year it is preferable to make an appointment. This way you will not have to wait unnecessarily. During the academic year France Demeure is present at the computer graphics department every Monday and Friday between 9am and 2pm. If this timetable doesn’t fit with your classes you can also make an appointment to meet her in the afternoon between 2 and 4.30 from Monday to Friday.

Is confidentiality guaranteed?

Absolutely. As you are over 18, there will be no report to your parents unless you ask for it.

The student welfare officer is also bound by professional secrecy. This means that when your case is debated in a meeting at the Financial Support Committee, your name will never be mentioned.

Are there sanctions in case of failure?

Not at all. To benefit from the school’s welfare support, all you need is to be officially registered as a regular student. In other words the student secretariat must have your complete administrative file and your registration fees must be paid. You are expected to attend classes and exams regularly. In case of failure, the financial support that you have received does NOT have to be repaid.

Is welfare support repayable?

There are two kinds of financial support from the Financial Support Committee:

• a real study grant, paid in two instalments over the year. This cannot be repaid.
• a grant advance: when the study grant from the ‘service des allocations d’études’ (SAE) from the Communauté française takes too long to be paid, the Financial Support Committee can grant you an advance of 400€. Once you’ve received the grant from the SAE, the advance received will be re-evaluated. It can be turned into a non repayable donation (with a possible supplement) or into a loan with a repayment that can be spread until June of the same academic year.

Does the Social Service only deal with students with financial problems?

No. The aim of this service is to provide students with a positive support so that you can study in optimum conditions. The role of the student welfare officer is to listen to you, to inform you, to reorientate you socially and to help you with administrative steps.

France Demeure is working for you and with you.