Contributions and Fees Fees for a Second Degree Program

Students who enrolled before the winter semester 2017/18 can complete the degree program they then began under the condition applicable at that time, meaning without second degree tuition fees. However, the protection expires when transferring to a different study program.

Students who must mandatorily complete two degree programs for professional reasons (typically medicine and dentistry for oral surgery) do not have to pay second degree tuition fees. For fee exemptions, please inform the Student Administration via email. Please note: A second degree to improve your professional situation does not count as a mandatory professional reason.

Students enrolled in a teaching degree program are also exempt from fees for a second degree. This includes the Master of Education, the Master of Education supplementary subject as well as specific combinations of two Bachelor's degree components (Lehramtsoption) in which students earn ECTS in the teaching degree option and aim for a career as a teacher. To be exempt from the second degree tuition fees for a polyvalent Bachelor's degree with a teaching degree option, you will be asked to confirm your career goal of becoming a teacher when you enroll. If you do not receive a request, you can download the form here and submit it to the Student Administration by email.

Students’ first degree, i.e. a Bachelor’s degree program and a Master’s degree program, continue to be free of charge. This also applies to doctoral studies.

In a small number of cases, students may be exempted from payment of tuition fees for a second degree program (§ 8, paragraph 4, State Higher Education Fees Act - Landeshochschulgebührengesetz, LHGebG). Depending on the grounds for the exemption, it may be granted for one semester, or for the duration of the standard period of study for the degree program. 

Students with a disability, as defined in § 2 of the Ninth Book of the German Social Welfare Code (Neuntes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch), may submit an application to be exempted from payment of tuition fees. 

Students may apply for an exemption in the following cases: 

• during a leave of absence in accordance with § 61 of the Act on Higher Education of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (Landeshochschulgesetz - LHG)
• during the completion of a practical year in accordance with § 1, paragraph 2, clause 1, item 1 of the Licensing Act for Doctors (Approbationsordnung für Ärzte) or
• during the completion of a practical semester in accordance with § 29, paragraph 3, clause 2 of the Act on Higher Education of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (Landeshochschulgesetz - LHG) 

Students may be exempted from the payment of tuition fees for the duration of those periods named above. Following this, students will again be required to pay tuition fees.

APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR SECOND DEGREE TUITION FEE EXEMPTIONS 

Applications for exemption from second degree tuition fees must be submitted by the start of the semester (October 1^st or April 1^st) at the latest. Information on the required documents or proofs can be found on the application form.

In order to meet the enrolment or re-registration deadline, the application should be submitted as early as possible. To be safe, we recommend that you transfer the full fees in order to secure your spot. If/when your application is approved, your credit balance can be refunded or, if so desired, transferred to the following semester.

For international students from non-EU/EEA countries who have non-German university entrance qualifications, specific rules apply with regard to fees for undergraduate degrees and consecutive Master’s degree programs for first and second degree programmes. For further information, please refer to the Higher Education Fees Act of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg (Landeshochschulgebührengesetz, §3- §8, LHGebG).