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May 6th, 2017
Tuition in Germany Demystified 
Copyright: iStockphoto
Myth #1: Germany recently abolished tuition fees
Yes and no. While tuition fees of EUR 500 per semester had been introduced at public universities in seven German states from 2005-2014, all of these states have abolished these since, with Bavaria being the last to cancel tuition fees for its students in 2014. So even though the issue could be framed as a recent development, tuition-free higher education has actually been part of German policy since the 1970s.
However, with tuition exponentially on the rise in the United States, this has led to US students turning to Germany in the past couple of years for both their undergraduate and graduate education: in 2016, 5,632 students in Germany were from the US. Currently, most programs at German universities are tuition free; however, one state, Baden-Württemberg, has decided only a few days ago to introduce fees for international students (see also Myth #3). Myth #2: Public universities do not charge tuition fees
This is largely true for undergraduate programs. However if you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, you may come across programs at public universities that do charge tuition for highly specialized graduate programs. Others might even pay you to attend their graduate program, for example if you apply to a so-called PhD-position. These are PhD opportunities within larger research projects with funding allocated for a certain number of PhD-students to contribute to it within the scope of their own research. Learn more about such PhD-positions and search for one in our database. Myth #3: International students study for free in Germany
Yes and no. According to the Times Higher Education, Germany saw a seven percent increase in international students in 2016. No matter where these students are from, it has been a large part of Germany's internationalization strategy not to charge foreign students tuition. Germany's reason for doing this is twofold: On the one hand, its population is ageing, leaving a large demographic gap to fill. By attracting international students, Germany hopes to retain skilled workers to support its economy in the future. On the other hand, those that return to their home countries with their German degrees, are seen by Germany as ambassadors, building an international network of partners around the world.
Nevertheless, a few days ago, the southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg has ratified a new law that will allow universities there to charge EUR 1,500 in tuition from non-EU nationals. International students from the EU as well as students who have obtained a German high-school diploma abroad (the Abitur) will be exempt from this rule. Learn more about tuition fees including this new ruling at our website. Myth #4: Studying in Germany is cost-free
While it is possible to study tuition-free at the majority of universities and programs in Germany, students are required to pay a so-called semester fee. This fee, which usually does not exceed EUR 250 per semester, covers social services and administrative costs. It often also includes a ticket to public transportation. International students going to Germany should further budget approx. EUR 800 for cost-of-living. This includes health insurance, which amounts to approx. EUR 80 per month. The bottom line is that many students, German or international, will only be required to contribute a few hundred Euros per year, while the German taxpayer covers an average of EUR 8080 per student annually. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions on studying in Germany. Our teams in New York and San Francisco are more than happy to help you plan your study or research in Germany and can advise you on any available grant and scholarship opportuntities to help fund your stay abroad.
Grant Opportuntiy for Faculty: Apply now for a Research Stay in Germany or a Re-Invitation Grant Deadline: May 15th, 2017
DAAD offers grants for 1-3 months in all academic disciplines to university academics and scientists at US and Canadian institutions of higher education to pursue research at universities, libraries, archives, institutes or laboratories in Germany. The aim of this particular program is to enable former scholarship holders to carry out research projects in Germany and to maintain contacts as part of DAAD’s global alumni network. Grants are awarded for research and work projects and cannot be used for travel only. Please find details on the application here. 
Copyright: DAAD/Volker Lannert
Webinar: Study in Germany without a Preparatory Course at University of Cologne May 10th, 2017, 1-2pm EDT
DAAD North America launched a free series of webinars presenting funding opportunities to Germany and the programs offered by individual German universities. In this webinar, learn about pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Cologne in Germany without attending a preparatory course (Studienkolleg) first. This is possible for those students with excellent German language skills who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Germany. Register here now if you are interested in the topic, even if you may be unable to attend the live webinar. A link to the recording and the presentations will be shared with the full registration list soon after the event. Take a look at upcoming and past webinars at our website. 
DAAD Internship Opportunity in Network Adminstration Our DAAD regional office in New York is seeking Information Technology majors who are nearing the end of their studies or IT-graduate students. The internship will take place in New York City in a Windows environment of approx. 30 users. This is an excellent opportunity for an IT student to gain hands-on experience in network administration in an international setting. Working directly with our information officer, the IT intern will be involved in IT-related projects and will assist our team with IT issues. These range from infrastructure maintenance (network/server administration) to occasional troubleshooting and help desk tasks. See full description here.
Copyright: Abbis/DAAD
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