Tuition fees for students from non-EU countries

Deutsches Studentenwerk criticizes the plan to charge students from non-EU countries a €1 500 tuition fee. The government of Baden-Württemberg has made this decision on 29 November 2016 and wants to put it into practice in the winter term 2017/18.

DSW president Prof. Dr. Dieter Timmermann explains:

“The planned introduction of tuition fees for students from non-EU countries is counterproductive!

It is the wrong decision. Tuition fees are not the right way of creating a sound financial situation for universities. That is the state’s responsibility, not the students’ – whether they are German, EU citizens or from other countries.

Germany has become a highly attractive international place to study. We have almost reached the aim set by science ministers in 2013 that 350 000 international students should be enrolled at German universities by 2020. Instead of creating financial obstacles in university admission we should improve opportunities for foreign students to stay.

It does not make sense to set up an internationalization strategy in order to attract more foreign students and then to suddenly introduce a tuition fee for a specific group. That is a contradiction in terms.

According to our 20^th social survey, the monthly budget of foreign students lies below that of German students by €115. Obviously, Baden-Württemberg wants to become more unattractive for less affluent students from abroad – an astonishing decision considering that it is made by a government party that usually stands for equality at universities”.

This press release online:

https://www.studentenwerke.de/de/content/studiengebühren-für-studierende-aus-nicht