Tuition fees for international students and for a second degree

Since winter semester 2017/18 higher education institutions in Baden-Württemberg charge tuition fees for international students and for students taking up a second degree.

This page provides information on the regulations in the Act on Fees in Higher Education of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (Landeshochschulgebührengesetz, LHGebG). Please note that this text is solely for information purposes and only the Act itself is legally binding. The staff of the University of Stuttgart can in no way influence the legal situation or take decisions regarding exceptions and exemptions from tuition fee payments or reductions in the fee amount.

This page will be updated regularly; any new information will be added as soon as possible.

The tuition fees will be collected upon enrollment or re-registration via C@MPUS. Read here for more information on the collection of fees, and exception/exemption criteria.

Tuition fee for international students

Since winter semester 2017/18, international students who are not citizens of an EU/EEA country and who are taking up or switching to a Bachelor's, a consecutive Master’s or a state examination study program have to pay a tuition fee of EUR 1,500.00 per semester. Additionally the regular semester fee of currently EUR 164.00 has to be payed.

In these cases the tuition fee will automatically not be charged:

  • students from an EU/EEA country (acc. § 3 subs. 1 sent. 1 LHGebG);
  • non-German students who completed their university entrance qualification (e. g. Abitur) at a German school according to § 58 LHG (acc. § 3 subs. 2 LHGebG); in the case of Delta exams, professional qualifications and other recognized qualifications, the following conditions have to be fulfilled:
    • the advanced technical college certificate as the basis of the Delta exam according to § 58 subs. 2 no. 4 LHG must have been completed in Germany,
    • the Aufstiegsfortbildungsprüfung according to § 58 subs. 2 no. 5 LHG must have been completed in Germany,
    • the vocational training and work experience required according to § 58 subs. 2 no. 6 LHG must have been completed in Germany,
    • other qualifications recognized by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs must have been acquired in Germany (see § 58 subs. 2 no. 12 LHG).

Please note: Due to technical reasons a university entrance qualification which was acquired at a German school abroad and the advanced technical college certificate (in combination with Delta exam or undergraduate degree), cannot be identified automatically. That is why a preliminary tuition fee is calculated first and a notification of this fee is generated. Shortly afterwards the tuition fee is cancelled manually and a viable notification is then generated.

Please note: A university entrance qualification as defined in § 58 subs. 2 nos. 7 to 11 LHG, in particular, a Bachelor’s degree earned in Germany (§ 58 subs. 2 no. 8 LHG), does not qualify students for an exception.

  • students taking up a continuing education Master’s study program or a doctoral degree program (acc. § 3 subs. 1 sent. 1 and § 20 subs. 1 sent. 3 LHGebG);
  • exchange students and double degree students under certain circumstances (acc. § 6 subs. 1 sent. 2, 3 LHGebG);
  • participants in a language course who are not yet enrolled on a study program (acc. § 3 subs. 1 sent. 1 LHGebG).

If you fulfill the criteria for an exception of this kind, you need to submit the Application for Exception/Exemption, the Information Form for International Students (“Auskunftsformular”) and the required documents of proof in the course of your enrollment or re-registration.
Please note: The Applicaton for Exception/Exemption may only be submitted after the acceptance of the university place and the receipt of the notification of the tuition fee. It is not possible to submit the application beforehand!

Students who fulfill one of the following criteria qualify for an exception:

  • family members (spouse, registered life partner or child) of EU/EEA citizens according to § 3 of the Freedom of Movement Act/EU (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 1 LHGebG),
  • international students with a settlement permit or permanent EU residence permit (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 2 LHGebG),
  • international students with a permit to reside in Germany who are recognized abroad as refugees according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 3 LHGebG),
  • international students who are homeless according to the Law on the Legal Status of Homeless Aliens in the Federal Republic of Germany (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 4 LHGebG),
  • international students who are mainly resident in Germany and have a residence permit for international-law, humanitarian, political, family-related or other reasons with good prospects of remaining in Germany in the long term (e. g. persons entitled to asylum, refugees recognized according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees, or family members joining Germans or foreigners with a settlement permit) (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 5 LHGebG),
  • international students who are mainly resident in Germany and hold a certain residence permit (e. g. on the basis of a non-refoulement or another obstacle to deportation), and who have been living in Germany legally, permitted or tolerated for at least 15 months without interruption (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 6 LHGebG),
  • tolerated international students who are mainly resident in Germany and who have been living in Germany legally, permitted or tolerated for at least 15 months without interruption (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 7 LHGebG),
  • international students who have resided and legally worked in Germany for at least 5 years (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 8 LHGebG),
  • international students with a parent who has resided and legally worked in Germany for at least 3 years within the last 6 years prior to the start of the studies (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 9 LHGebG),
  • international students who have completed a Bachelor's and Master's study program, or a State examination, Diploma or Magister study program in Germany (then, see tuition fee for a second degree) (acc. § 5 subs. 1 no. 10 LHGebG).
  • Nationals of a country that has left the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) but who were already residing in Germany before the date of withdrawal.

The following documents of proof may be required:

  • Permit of Residence: residence card, residence permit, confirmation of registration, certificate or passport entry concerning the status as a homeless or tolerated person, confirmation from the foreigner's office, birth/­partnership/­marriage certificate
  • Employment: employment verification form, tax assessment notices, residence permit, birth certificate
  • Studies: university degree certificate(s), letter of award

If you fulfill the criteria for an exception, please submit the Application for Exemption, the Information Form for International Students and the required documents of proof in paper form to Semester/Tuition Fees no later than the day of your enrolment or before the re-registration deadline (summer semester 15 February, winter semester 15 August). The date of receipt willl be decisive!

Students may request exception/exemption from the tuition fee after they have accepted the university place and received the official notification of the tuition fee if they belong to one of the following groups:

  • international students with a temporary resident permit (Aufenthaltsgestattung) according to § 55 subs. 1 of the Asylum Act who are nationals of a country with a protection rate of at least 50 % (set by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees on the basis of the announcement of the Federal Ministry of the Interior; currently: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia and Syria) (acc. § 6 subs. 6 LHGebG);
  • students who are taking an academic leave of absence, if the applications for the academic leave and for exception/exemption were submitted before the beginning of the lecture period (acc. § 6 subs. 2 no. 1 LHGebG);
  • students completing a practical semester which is part of the standard period of study (at present only study programs with degree Staatsexamen or Master of Education) (acc. § 6 subs. 2 no. 3 LHGebG);
  • students with a disability as defined in § 2 of the Ninth Social Code (Neuntes Sozialgesetzbuch, SGB IX) which causes considerable difficulties during their studies (acc. § 6 subs. 7 LHGebG).

Please submit the Application for Exemption and the required documents of proof in paper form to Semester/Tuition Fees before the beginning of the lecture period. The date of receipt will be decisive!

Tuition fee for a second degree

Students who are taking up a second or further Bachelor's study program or a second or further consecutive Master's study program after they acquired a higher education degree in the Federal Republic of Germany, have to a pay tuition fee of EUR 650.00 per semester since winter semester 2017/18. Additionally, they have to pay the semester fee, which currently amounts to EUR 164.00.

The tuition fee for a second degree will be charged with the semester that follows the date of your first degree certificate. If you submit this certificate after the beginning of your studies the tuition fee can be charged subsequently.

Information for international students:
If you wish to begin a second study program, you must pay the tuition fee for international students (EUR 1,500.00). The tuition fee for a second degree (EUR 650) only applies if you are exempt from paying the tuition fee for international students.

Students do not have to pay the tuition fee for a second degree if: 

  • they already have to pay the tuition fee for international students (acc. § 8 subs. 1 sent. 3 LHGebG);
  • they take up an additional subject within the scope of a teacher education program (acc. § 8 subs. 3 sent. 2 LHGebG);
  • they take up a continuing Master's study program (acc. § 8 subs. 1 sent. 1 and § 20 subs. 1 sent. 3 LHGebG);
  • the second degree is mandatory according to regulations governing the profession in order to obtain a vocational qualification (e. g. oral surgery) (acc. § 8 subs. 3 sent. 1 LHGebG);
  • the first degree was finished abroad and no other undergraduate or consecutive study program was completed in Germany (acc. § 8 subs. 1 sent. 1 LHGebG).

Please note: Exceptions are usually registered in the course of the application and enrollment procedure.

If you want to assert an exception afterwards, please submit the Application for Exemption, the Information Form for a Second Degree and the required documents of proof in paper form to Semester/Tuition Fees no later than the day of your enrolment or before the re-registration deadline (summer semester 15 February, winter semester 15 August). The date of receipt will be decisive!

Students may request exception/exemption from tuition fees after they have accepted the university place and received the official notification of tuition fees if they belong to one of the following groups:

  • students who are taking an academic leave of absence, if the applications for the academic leave and for exception/exemption were submitted before the beginning of the lecture period (acc. § 8 subs. 4 i. c. w. § 6 subs. 2 no. 1 LHGebG);
  • students completing a practical semester which is part of the standard period of study (at present only study programs with degree Staatsexamen or Master of Education) (acc. § 8 subs. 4 i. c. w. § 6 subs. 2 no. 3 LHGebG);
  • students with a disability as defined in § 2 of the Ninth Social Code (Neuntes Sozialgesetzbuch, SGB IX) which causes considerable difficulties during their studies (acc. § 8 subs. 4 i. c. w. § 6 subs. 7 LHGebG).

Please submit the Application for Exemption and the required documents of proof in paper form to Semester/Tuition Fees before the beginning of the lecture period. The date of receipt will be decisive!

Transitional regulation

International students and students pursuing a second degree who were already enrolled at the University of Stuttgart at the time the law came into effect (17 May 2017) do not have to pay the tuition fee and can complete their current study program as planned (acc. § 20 subs. 1 sent. 1 LHGebG). This also applies to students enrolled in two or more study programs at the time the law came into effect.

If the study program combines partial programs (multi-subject-program), one change of one subject remains free of the tuition fee (acc. § 20 subs. 1 sent. 2 LHGebH). Due to technical reasons this exception cannot be identified automatically. That is why a preliminary tuition fee is calculated first and a notification of this fee is generated. Shortly afterwards the tuition fee is cancelled manually and a viable notification is then generated.

International students who change their study program, generally have to pay the tuition fee. This includes beginning a Master’s program after having completed a Bachelor's program or beginning a study program after completing a language course at the University of Stuttgart.

Second degree students who change to a new study program of the same type (i. e. from a Bachelor’s program to another Bachelor’s program or from a Master's program to another Master's program), generally have to pay the tuition fee. Changing from a Bachelor's program to a Master's program would be free of the tuition fee if another Master's program hasn't been completed yet.

Joint degree programs

Students who have to, or choose to, study at more than one higher education institution at the same time due to stipulations of the study regulations or examination regulations only have to pay tuition fees to the higher education institution at which the main courses are taught (acc. § 4 subs. 1 sent. 2 LHGebG).

Information on financing your studies and on financial aid options

On our web pages you will find helpful information on the topic of financial aid and scholarships and on the topic of financing options for international students.

Point of contact for questions about student fees and tuition fees

 

Semester/Tuition Fees

  • Further information
  • Your contact regarding all questions considering semester and tuition fee (e.g. maturity, payment, transfer, exceptions, excemptions, waiver, refund).
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