The tuition fees are currently 1,500 Euro per semester. International students have to pay 1,500 Euros for each semester of their studies

Generally, German citizens, citizens of EU or EEA countries, most refugees and students who obtained their higher education entrance qualification (normally the “Abitur”) in Germany or who have obtained a similar qualification from a German school in another country do not have to pay any tuition fees. Moreover, PhD/doctorate students are not liable to pay tuition fee.

Also exempt are students who have built a solid personal relationship to Germany. Basically, there are several exceptions from the liability of paying tuition fees  (§ 5 LHGebG). For example

- family members (partner, spouse and children) of EU or EEA citizens according to §3 of the law of freedom of movement and mobility of the European Union (§ 3 Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU)

- foreigners holding a settlement permission (Niederlassungserlaubnis) or a permanent residency permit (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt - EU) according to the law on residence (AufenthG).

- refugees living in Germany who are recognized refugees according to the Geneva convention relating to the status of refugees and who are not just temporarily allowed to stay in Germany.

- displaced persons according to the law relating to the status of displaced persons in the Federal Republic of Germany Gesetz über die Rechtsstellung heimatloser Ausländer im Bundesgebiet

- foreigners who are permanent residents in Germany and are holders of a residence permit because of humanitarian reasons, international law, political reasons, family reasons or other reasons offering a fair chance to be granted permanent residency (e.g. persons eligible for asylum, recognized refugees according to the Geneva convention relating to the status of refugees and/or in case of subsequent immigration of family members of German citizens or those foreigners with settlement permissions in Germany). This rule applies to all persons who have §§ 22, 23 Absatz 1, 2 oder 4, §§ 23a, 24, 25 Absatz 1 oder 2, §§ 25a, 25b, 28, 37, 38 Absatz 1 Satz 1 Nummer 2 or according to § 104a AufenthG or persons who have a residence permit according §§ 30 oder 32 bis 34 AufenthG because thy are either spouses or partners of foreigners already holding a settlement permission in Germany.

- foreigners residing permanently in Germany who are holders of a residence permit according to § 25 Absatz 3 oder 4 Satz 2 oder Absatz 5 or § 31 AufenthG or who hold a residence permit according to §§ 30 oder 32 bis 34 AufenthG as a spouse, partner or child and have uninterruptedly been staying in Germany legally (or tolerated) for at least 15 months.

- foreigners with exceptional leave to remain (§ 60a AufenthG), with permanent residency in Germany and an uninterrupted legit (or tolerated) stay in Germany for at least 15 months.

- foreigners who have been living in Germany for a total of 5 years and who have been part of the local (and legal) labour force

- children of foreigners who have been in Germany for a total of three years in the past six years preceding the beginning of their children’s studies and have also been a part of the local labour force.

Reasons for an exmption from tuition fees are also (§ 6 LHGebG):

- during a leave of absence according to § 61 LHG, if the request was filed before the start of the lecture period

- during the year of practical medical training according to § 1 Absatz 2 Satz 1 Nummer 1 der Approbationsordnung für Ärzte.

- during a practical semester in your study programme according to § 29 Absatz 3 Satz 2 LHG.

- students with exceptional leave to remain according to § 55 Absatz 1 Asylgesetz who are citizens of a country that has been classified by the federal office for migration and refugees with a quota of protection of 50 or more per cent based on statements from the federal ministry of the interior. Currently, the list of countries comprises Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Somalia.

- disabled students whose disability is severely inhibiting their studies according to § 2 des Neunten Buches Sozialgesetzbuch are exempt from tuition fees.

The Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK BW) can plan for further exemptions and reductions of tuition fees by further law bills. However, currently no such law bills are in existence

Students who were already enrolled at Ulm University in the summer semester 2017 enjoy protection of their legitimate expectations and are not liable to pay tuition fees as long as they continue their current study programme. This means that students may finish their studies at the university at which they were enrolled at the time of the implementation of the law without paying any tuition fees. If a student changes his or her programme or is changing universities, he or she automatically becomes liable to pay tuition fees.

If you cancel or interrupt your studies, you are liable to pay tuition fees upon re-registering for a study programme at any university.

Please note:
When switching from a bachelor’s to a master’s programme you are also liable to pay tuition fees, even if you stick to the general subject of your studies (e.g. you obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics and then switch to the master’s programme in physics). This also holds true for a change of university.

The pre-courses are no study programmes proper. However, switching from these programmes to a regular study programme will make you liable to pay tuition fees

1. International students enrolled for no longer than two semesters because of mutual agreements of their universities and without the intention to obtain a degree do not have to pay any tuition fees if the universities also have a mutual tuition fees waiver agreement. The general rules may be summarized as follows:

a.      exchange agreement / partnership agreement between universities

b.      no intention to obtain a degree

c.       maximum of two semesters

d.      mutual tuition fees waiver agreement

2. International joint programmes

Students are not liable to pay tuition fees if they are enrolled in an international joint programme leading up to either a joint or double degree from both universities, if the curriculum of the respective programme comprises compulsory periods of time spent abroad (at the partner university of the joint programme) and if the partnership includes a mutual tuition fees waiver agreement. The general rules may be summarized as follows:

a.      international joint programme resulting in a joint or double degree

b.      compulsory stay abroad at the partner university as part of the programme

d.      mutual tuition fees waiver agreement

At Ulm University this is, for instance, relevant for the joint master’s degree in Molecular Medicine in cooperation with the University of Padua.

3. International students who are enrolled because of agreements on a state, federal or international level which guarantee studying free of charge. This would, for instance, apply to the Baden-Württemberg programme

4. So-called free movers are liable to pay tuition fees even if they do not intend to obtain a degree at Ulm University. This applies to all (temporary)  international students according to § 60 Abs. 1 Satz 5 LHG who are enrolled in either a bachelor’s or consecutive master’s programme.

For Studienkolleg you do not have to pay tuition fees.

Applicants who are registered at a Studienkolleg  (§ 73 LHG) before the start of winter semester 2017/18 in Baden-Württemberg and are preparing for the higher education entrance assessment examination (§ 58 Abs. 2 Nr. 11 LHG) do not have to pay tuition fees for the first enrolment in any programme after they have passed the higher education entrance assessment examination.

The higher education entrance assessment examination is no German higher education entrance qualification

No.

If you already have completed a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, state examination or a diploma degree in Germany, you have to pay second degree tuition fees of currently 650 Euro for each semester for any additional enrolment.

If no bachelor’s and master’s degree has been completed, then international students have to pay regular tuition fees of 1,500 Euro.

If international students enrol for a second bachelor’s degree, they have to pay tuition fees of 1,500 Euro. If they are exempt from paying tuition fees (§5 LHGebG), they are liable to pay tuition fees for a second degree (§8 LHGebG)

Each semester, all students have to pay the administration fees, student union fees as well as the fees for the institutionalised student body. The tuition fees do not replace other fees due and they do not include these fees either.

Information on the fees mentioned above can be found here.

All applicants and students who have to pay tuition fees will receive a notification of fees from Ulm University.

The forms (downloads) can be used to submit an application or fill in an information form to be exempted from the fees or to show that you are an exception and do not have to pay any fees.
The application/information form must be completed immediately and sent to the admissions office of Ulm University within the specified period before the start of lectures. The necessary evidence and supporting documents must be submitted together with the application or the information form.

Note that the sooner you submit your assessment sheet and documents, the quicker they will be checked. If your documents could not be submitted in time or too late and you are not to be held liable for this delay in the process, then contact studiengebühren@uni-ulm.de.

The latter is also valid if the reason for a possible exemption from tuition fees becomes effective within one month after lecture commencement.

After the documents and requests have carefully been checked, students (or applicants) liable to pay tuition fees will receive a notification of fees from the university. Of course you may file an appeal against the notification.

All students (and applicants) who do not receive an information sheet and a notification of fees are not liable to pay tuition fees. The same is valid for students who are granted exemption from the tuition fees.

You are obliged to co-operate (§10 LHG)

Students and applicants are obliged to co-operate. All personal details and documents which are needed for the calculation, exemption or reduction of tuition fees have to be submitted at the latest by the time of enrolment or re-registration. Furthermore, all changes of personal data have to be submitted to Ulm University immediately. The university is not obliged to check or retrieve the facts in its own motion.

You will find the Request for International Students to establish wether the obligation to pay tuition fees here at our website.

If the conditions for an exemption from tuition fees (§5 LHGebG) applied during enrolment and international students were not able to show the required documents in time without fault of their own (e.g. documents were not ready), paid tuition fees will be reimbursed. Students have to prove their claim according to the pre-conditions mentioned in §32 LVwVfG.

Tuition fees will also be reimbursed if the conditions for an exemption take effect within a month after the enrolment and have been successfully proven by the student (§10 Abs. 4 Satz 1 LHGebG)

If the student withdraws from university within one month after lecture commencement, the tuition fees are reimbursed.

If fees were not imposed although the student was liable to pay tuition fees, then they can be imposed retroactively.

650 Euro for each semester.

Under the following circumstances, second degree tuition fees need not be paid:

1) Change of subject within the same programme or change of  programme without having graduated (§ 8 Abs. 2 LHGebG)

2) When you obtained your degree outside of Germany, you do not have to pay tuition fees for a second degree

3) PhD students are exempt from second degree tuition fees.

4) You do not have to pay second degree tuition fees for studying a complimentary subject in one of the teacher training programmes (§ 8 Abs. 3 Satz 2 LHGebG)

5) If you are enrolled in two programmes at the same time, then this combination is generally not liable to tuition fees for a second degree (§ 8 Abs. 5 LHGebG)

6) In case you are required to graduate from a second programme because of job regulations (e.g. oral surgery) that second degree is not subject to any tuition fees . (§ 8 Abs. 3 LHGebG)

In case you are required to graduate from a second programme because of job regulations that second degree is not subject to any tuition fees (§ 8 Abs. 3 LHGebG)

Students who are enrolled in two or more programmes at the same time at one or more universities will be charged second degree tuition fees from the semester following their first degree onwards (§ 8 Abs. 5 LHGebG)

Exemption from second degree tuition fees may be granted according to  § 8 Abs. 4 LHGebG in connection with § 6 Abs. 2 und 7 LHGebG in the following cases:

- during leave of absence § 61 LHG, if the request was filed before the start of the lecture period

- during the practical year of medical training according to § 1 Absatz 2 Satz 1 Nummer 1 der Approbationsordnung für Ärzte.

- during a practical semester according to § 29 Absatz 3 Satz 2 LHG.

- disabled students whose disability is severely inhibiting their studies according to §2 des Neunten Buches Sozialgesetzbuch are exempt from tuition fees

Reimbursement:

Paid (tuition) fees can only be reimbursed if the withdrawal from university occurs within a month after the start of the lecture period.

Each semester, all students have to pay the administration fees, student union fees as well as the fees for the institutionalised student body. The tuition fees do not replace other fees due and they do not include these fees either.

Information on the fees mentioned above can be found here.

Every student who may probably be liable to pay tuition fees will receive an information sheet from Ulm University which has to be filled in and returned in time.

Together with this information sheet you may also file a request for exemption from the tuition fees. On the request form, you will also have to indicate why you are eligible for exemption and do not have to pay tuition fees. The assessment sheet has to be filled in immediately and must be returned in time to the department of admissions at Ulm University before the semester starts. As already stated, all documents have to be submitted together with the information sheet. Usually, the documents will comprise a proof of your residence permit, the electronic residence permit (eAT) and, if applicable, additional documents from the immigration office.

Note that the sooner you submit your assessment sheet and documents, the quicker they will be checked. If your documents could not be submitted in time or too late and you are not to be held liable for this delay in the process, then your paid fees will be reimbursed. The latter is also valid if the reason for a possible exemption from tuition fees becomes effective within one month after lecture commencement.

After the documents and requests have carefully been checked, students (or applicants) liable to pay tuition fees will receive a notification of fees from the university. Of course you may file an appeal against the notification.

All students (and applicants) who do not receive an information sheet and a notification of fees are not liable to pay tuition fees. The same is valid for students who are granted exemption from the tuition fees.

You are obliged to co-operate (§10 LHG)

Students and applicants are obliged to co-operate. All personal details and documents which are needed for the calculation, exemption or reduction of tuition fees have to be submitted at the latest by the time of enrolment or re-registration. Furthermore, all changes of personal data have to be submitted to Ulm University immediately. The university is not obliged to check or retrieve the facts in its own motion

Fees are already being imposed on students enrolled in programmes for working professionals. They are not second degree tuition fees. Students of such programmes do not have to pay second degree tuition fees.

Tuition fees in the master’s programmes for working professionals is dependent on the respective regulations:

Regulations (Satzung ) for the imposition of tuition fees in master’s programmes for working professionals at the School of Advanced Professional Studies (SAPS)

Regulations (Satzung) for the imposition of tuition fees in the English-language master’s programme Advanced Oncology

You will find the Request for second degree students to establish wether the obligation to pay tuition fees here at our website.

FAQs zu den Gebühren für Internationale Studierende und das Zweitstudium

Gebühren für Internationale Studierende und Zweitstudium (14.02.2017)

Landtag verabschiedet Gesetz zu Gebühren für Internationale Studierende und Zweitstudium (03.05.2017)

Studying in Baden-Württemberg