Higher education institutions may establish different admission requirements for different groups, based on the prior qualifications or special needs of the applicants. The specific target group can be determined by the higher education institutions themselves. It applies also to students with special needs. Higher Education Institutions are not entitled to the reimbursement of study costs from a student who has not complied with the requirements concerning full-time studies if he or she is a person with a moderate, severe, or profound disability or if he or she is the parent or guardian of a child under 7 years of age or a disabled child.

Scholarships for students with special needs (“Conditions and procedure for the provision of higher education scholarships” § 7 https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/122082019011?leiaKehtiv) The purpose of the scholarship for students with special needs is to support students with special needs upon the acquisition of higher education. The amount of the scholarship for students with special needs depends on the degree of severity and type of the disability and varies between 60-510 Euros per month. The main target group is students with a moderate, severe, or profound disability. 

Needs-based study allowance (“Study Allowances and Study Loans Act” https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/521032019018/consolide). It is designed to support students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds while obtaining higher education. The amounts of the needs-based study allowance are divided as follows: EUR 75, 135, and 220 (per month). Being qualified for any of the amounts of the allowance depends on the average income of the student and their family members in the calendar year prior to the academic year of submitting an application for the study allowance. The main target group is students with financially disadvantaged backgrounds or from low-income families.

For more information, you can consult the Higher Education Act