Baden-Württemberg’s parliament decides in favor of tuition
fees for foreign students
Non-EU students will have to pay 1,500 EUR per semester as
of this fall. Baden-Württemberg is first federal state in Germany to pass a law
of this kind.
Foreign students with citizenships from countries which are
not members of the EU will have to pay tuition fees as of this fall. The State
Ministry of Baden-Württemberg for Sciences, Research and the Arts reported that
Baden-Württemberg’s parliament passed a bill that requires foreign students to
pay 1,500 EUR as of the coming winter semester.
The fees will be charged each semester and are meant to
improve the conditions of study for non-EU students. Baden-Württemberg’s Minister
of Science Theresia Bauer (Green Party) stated that better academic support of
foreign students was necessary in order to ensure the successful completion of
their studies. Pursuing a second course of studies would also be subject to the
new fee scheme.
Non-completion of studies is far more common with this group
than with students from Germany, said Bauer. There are “specific exceptions”
for students from the poorest regions around the world. 500 university places will
be created for these students each year.
Applicants for asylum who have already been approved or whose
approval is “highly likely” due to country of origin are exempt from the
mandatory tuition fee. Asylum seekers must, however, fulfill language
requirements and academic prerequisites in order to pursue a course of study.
There are currently approximately 20,000 international
students in Baden-Württemberg; they will be grandfathered into the new law and
are therefore exempt from the new fee. Baden-Württemberg is the first federal state
in Germany in which students from non-EU countries will have to pay for their
studies.
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