Learning account

In Flanders a system of learning account has been established to monitor students' study progress and to stimulate students to make well-informed study choices. It is a means for the Flemish Government to have an overview of the study progress of all students. It is also a means to stimulate good study results which is both the responsibility of the student and the institute of higher education.

Diploma contracts and credit contracts are subject to the learning account, exam contracts and exchange students are not. The learning account does not apply to enrollments in bridging programmes, preparatory programmes, the teacher training, postgraduate programmes, advanced master programmes and PhD programmes.

If you register for the first time as a student in Flanders, your learning account will automatically and always be 140 credits. Students can consult their learning account balance and movements via burgerprofiel.be. Unfortunately, this website is only available in Dutch.

Every student receives 140 credits at the start of their higher education. You need these credits to register for an initial bachelor’s or master’s programme. Each academic year, the number of credits for which you register will be deducted from your learning account. You will retrieve the credits for which you pass, you will lose the credits for which you fail.

Bonus: the first 60 credits for which you pass, are doubled. It doesn't matter if you pass them in the first year or during several years.

During the academic year, you may find that the courses you chose don't quite meet your expectations. Maybe you are considering switching to another programme at Hasselt University or even to another educational institution? Make sure you start this process asap with deadlines to deregister in mind. You can find those in the academic calendar of your programme. If you deregister before this deadline, the number of credits you registered for will be ‘refunded’ to your learning account.

If you obtain a master’s degree, the amount of 140 credits is deducted from your learning account. In general you will still have a number of credits left, since you acquired a bonus of 60 credits in the beginning. You can use these credits to enrol in a new bachelor’s or master’s programme.

You can enroll for the learning account that is still available at the time of registration in a programme, as long as the programme has given you admission. Permission to register for more credits than the remaining learning account is exceptional.

If you no longer have credits in your learning account, you cannot enroll for an academic programme or a course. Permission to enroll with a negative learning account is rarely or never given.

Applications of students with an insufficient learning account will first be subject to a thorough evaluation (Request enrolment with insufficient learning account (pdf, 113 KB)). If a student with an insufficient learning account is granted approval for registration, the student must pay increased tuition fees for the credits he or she lacks. This tuition fee is double the normal tuition fee.

A rebuilt of the learning account is possible when you are left with less than 60 credits on your learning account.

• After having obtained your initial master’s degree.
• After one academic year not being enrolled in higher education and without having obtained a degree.

The rebuilt is at a rate of 10 credits per academic year maximum.

If you have any specific questions about this, please contact your academic advisor.