4 ms·

I see lots of envy from US and UK based people, but not any thought given to the great opportunity: Germany accepts international students. Why not go to a Ger

by tyoma 12y ago

I see lots of envy from US and UK based people, but not any thought given to the great opportunity: Germany accepts international students. Why not go to a German university and get a quality education paid for by the German taxpayer? As a bonus, you'll get to learn German for free.

dmix 12y ago
Is it even covered for international students? In Canada international students pay much higher rates for tuition. About $10k for a program that might cost Canadians $3k. It's a huge racket. I'd be surprised if Germans decided to do the same, as well as taxpayers being will to pay for foreigners education.
- tyoma 12y ago
  Last time I was in Germany I talked to a Thai gentleman who was an international student there. He said all of his tuition was covered, and that it was standard policy. Some Googling seems to confirm thats the case, but someone from Germany should really clarify.
  - whyever 12y ago
    Usually there are no tuition fees for anyone, including international students. (You have to pay administration fees which are a few 100 euros a semester.)
- krrrh 12y ago
  Yeah, international students pay the same tuition/fees in Germany as Germans, which is to say next to nothing. I know several people that have, or are doing graduate degrees here. Usually there is 100-200€ in fees per semester but that often includes a transit/intercity train pass within the state. It struck me as odd at first too, coming from Canada where certain programs at certain universities take as many international students as they can to subsidize the rest of the program. Keep in mind this usually (but not always) involves passing the TestDAF to prove German fluency.
- DasIch 12y ago
  It is. Allowing international students to study "for free", is generally seen as an investment into getting more highly qualified immigrants as these students may stay in Germany or even if they leave after studying, they will probably retain some contact helping improve international relations. Considering how Germany is developing demographically this is definitely necessary. Also you have to keep in mind that we are talking primarily about fixed costs here. Having a few additional students, won't really change the costs. Apart from that living in Germany they will inevitably pay taxes, they will have to pay for health insurance etc. so at least in part they do indirectly pay for their tuition.
rbehrends 12y ago
Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all, you won't actually get to learn German for free. In order to be admitted, you'll need to already speak Germany at a B2/C1 [1] level of fluency. This is probably the biggest obstacle: if you aren't already fluent, you won't learn a foreign language overnight, and if you are, you've probably already considered studying in Germany. Second, if you're American, your high school diploma generally isn't enough to be admitted. The requirements are a high school diploma AND a 3.0+ GPA AND either a SAT score in Math/Critical Reading of 1300+ or an ACT of 29+ (successful AP courses or college experience can lower the requirements or substitute for them). Third, you may not be eligible for financial assistance; even without tuition to worry about, you still need to feed yourself, have a roof over your head, and pay for health insurance (though health insurance for students is less than €80/month). Finding a job can also be difficult (even as an EU citizen, language skills and cultural differences may stand in the way of employment; non-EU foreigners usually are even more limited in their options). Why does the German government keep tuition free for foreign students? First of all, the costs of running a university are mostly fixed costs and especially in STEM subjects, German universities are running below capacity; second, students that meet the requirements (fluent in German, generally capable of supporting themselves, interested in studying abroad) are sufficiently likely to stay after they've gotten their degree: they'll be valued high-skill immigrants who'll contribute to the economy and probably pay more in taxes later than they received in free tuition. [1] https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/sommerkurse/en/15297-common-european-framework-of-reference/ https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/sommerkurse/...

by tyoma 12y ago

dmix 12y ago

Is it even covered for international students? In Canada international students pay much higher rates for tuition. About $10k for a program that might cost Canadians $3k. It's a huge racket. I'd be surprised if Germans decided to do the same, as well as taxpayers being will to pay for foreigners education.

tyoma 12y ago
Last time I was in Germany I talked to a Thai gentleman who was an international student there. He said all of his tuition was covered, and that it was standard policy. Some Googling seems to confirm thats the case, but someone from Germany should really clarify.
- whyever 12y ago
  Usually there are no tuition fees for anyone, including international students. (You have to pay administration fees which are a few 100 euros a semester.)
krrrh 12y ago
Yeah, international students pay the same tuition/fees in Germany as Germans, which is to say next to nothing. I know several people that have, or are doing graduate degrees here. Usually there is 100-200€ in fees per semester but that often includes a transit/intercity train pass within the state. It struck me as odd at first too, coming from Canada where certain programs at certain universities take as many international students as they can to subsidize the rest of the program. Keep in mind this usually (but not always) involves passing the TestDAF to prove German fluency.
DasIch 12y ago
It is. Allowing international students to study "for free", is generally seen as an investment into getting more highly qualified immigrants as these students may stay in Germany or even if they leave after studying, they will probably retain some contact helping improve international relations. Considering how Germany is developing demographically this is definitely necessary. Also you have to keep in mind that we are talking primarily about fixed costs here. Having a few additional students, won't really change the costs. Apart from that living in Germany they will inevitably pay taxes, they will have to pay for health insurance etc. so at least in part they do indirectly pay for their tuition.

rbehrends 12y ago

Well, there are a number of reasons. First of all, you won't actually get to learn German for free. In order to be admitted, you'll need to already speak Germany at a B2/C1 [1] level of fluency. This is probably the biggest obstacle: if you aren't already fluent, you won't learn a foreign language overnight, and if you are, you've probably already considered studying in Germany. Second, if you're American, your high school diploma generally isn't enough to be admitted. The requirements are a high school diploma AND a 3.0+ GPA AND either a SAT score in Math/Critical Reading of 1300+ or an ACT of 29+ (successful AP courses or college experience can lower the requirements or substitute for them). Third, you may not be eligible for financial assistance; even without tuition to worry about, you still need to feed yourself, have a roof over your head, and pay for health insurance (though health insurance for students is less than €80/month). Finding a job can also be difficult (even as an EU citizen, language skills and cultural differences may stand in the way of employment; non-EU foreigners usually are even more limited in their options). Why does the German government keep tuition free for foreign students? First of all, the costs of running a university are mostly fixed costs and especially in STEM subjects, German universities are running below capacity; second, students that meet the requirements (fluent in German, generally capable of supporting themselves, interested in studying abroad) are sufficiently likely to stay after they've gotten their degree: they'll be valued high-skill immigrants who'll contribute to the economy and probably pay more in taxes later than they received in free tuition. [1] https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/sommerkurse/en/15297-common-european-framework-of-reference/ https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/sommerkurse/...