The annual student program, or PAE, structures each academic year in higher education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Since the implementation of the Landscape decree, this system has replaced the old model of fixed study years with an individualized pathway in ECTS credits. Understanding how it works has become essential for any student enrolled in a French-speaking university or higher education institution in Belgium.
Landscape Decree and ECTS Credits: The Framework that Gave Rise to the PAE
The Landscape decree abolished the traditional system of study years. Each program is now divided into teaching units associated with ECTS credits. The PAE is the document that lists, for a given academic year, all the teaching units that a student will follow and present for exams.
This framework was designed to allow for some flexibility: a student who fails a few courses no longer has to repeat an entire year; they reintegrate the failed courses into their next PAE. In theory, each pathway becomes unique. In practice, the margins for maneuver have considerably reduced in recent years.
To discover the notion of student PAE from a complementary angle, it is important to keep in mind that the term also covers, in other contexts, a support plan for students (financial aid, mentoring). The dominant meaning in French-speaking Belgium remains that of the annual program linked to credits.
PAE Rules in 2026: Credit Ceiling and Funding
Since the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, the PAE is subject to much stricter rules. The program is capped at 60 credits per year, and failed courses from block 1 must be re-enrolled as a priority until the first year is fully validated.
The most significant change concerns funding. The decree now requires the validation of 60 credits from block 1 in a maximum of two enrollments. A third enrollment is only possible in exceptional cases, with the jury’s agreement. Beyond that, the student becomes unfundable, meaning their institution no longer receives funding for their enrollment.
End of the Transitional Period
In April 2024, the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation voted on transitional measures for the 2024-2025 academic year, temporarily relaxing the funding criteria for certain block 1 students. The government then suspended these provisions in October 2024. In 2026-2027, the transitional period is definitively over and the strict rules apply fully.
This tightening changes the game for students who were counting on the initial flexibility of the Landscape decree. The composition of the PAE is no longer a trivial administrative exercise: a poor choice of courses can jeopardize the continuation of their pathway.
Constituting the Student PAE: Priorities and Jury Validation
Constituting one’s PAE is not just about ticking boxes on an online form. Several constraints interlock, and their order of priority is strict.
- Failed teaching units from block 1 must be listed first in the PAE, before any block 2 or block 3 courses. This rule is non-negotiable as long as block 1 is not fully acquired.
- The total of the PAE cannot exceed 60 ECTS credits per year. A student can no longer “accelerate” their program by exceeding this cap.
- Prerequisites and corequisites between teaching units must be respected. A course that requires the prior success of another cannot be included in the same PAE if that prerequisite is not validated.
- The PAE is subject to validation by the jury or the academic authority. The student proposes, but it is the institution that approves the final program.
The timeline for constitution varies by institution, but it generally takes place at the beginning of the academic year, during the enrollment period. Some universities use an online configurator that guides the student step by step.
PAE and Student Support: Two Realities Under the Same Acronym
The acronym PAE also refers, in some institutions and associations, to a student support plan. This second meaning encompasses various provisions: monthly scholarships, mentoring, personalized follow-up throughout the course. The ADAB association, for example, uses the term PAE for its program that combines financial support and tutoring over several years.
In adult education, the PAE takes yet another form: it refers to a coordination plan for support activities tailored to a returning student audience. A reference person is designated to ensure follow-up.
Adjustments for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities benefit from specific adjustments that can influence the composition of their PAE. Some institutions allow for an extension of the program over a longer period, with exemptions from funding rules. Feedback on this point varies: actual access to these adjustments heavily depends on the institution and the nature of the declared disability.
The composition of the PAE, whether it is the annual program in credits or a support mechanism, remains a pivotal moment in the academic year. With the tightening of funding rules in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, each credit registered in the PAE directly impacts the continuation of the pathway. Checking prerequisites, respecting priority for block 1, and anticipating the consequences of a partial failure are three reflexes to acquire from the first enrollment.
