Tuition fees for foreigners
As Deutsche Welle notes, tuition fees at German public universities and colleges were almost universally abolished in 2013. Almost, because from the winter semester 2017/18, Baden-Württemberg introduced a mandatory fee for students from non-EU or non-EEA countries. In this case, the fee at all universities in this federal state is 1,500 euros per semester for those pursuing their first higher education degree.
Exceptions include graduates of German schools abroad, as well as exchange students and doctoral candidates working on their dissertations in Germany. Also, foreigners whose parents, spouse, or children hold a passport from an EU or EEA country.
This right is also granted by an EU residence permit, as well as employment in Germany: if the applicant has worked for five years, or if at least one of their parents lived in Germany for six years before the start of the child's studies and was employed for three of those years. No fee is required during an internship prescribed by the curriculum, or if you are attending a pre-university college in Baden-Württemberg.
First and second higher education
In Germany, "first higher education" refers to obtaining a Bachelor's degree (Bachelor) or a specialist degree (Diplom), as well as the "State Examination" (Staatsexamen) form of study, which qualifies graduates to work in professions under state control (doctors, teachers, lawyers, pharmacists). If an applicant holds a Bachelor's, Master's, or specialist degree obtained outside the EU and did not graduate from a university in Germany or another EU country, then this higher education is also considered the first.
Otherwise, subsequent studies, for example, to change specialties, will be considered a second higher education (Zweitstudium). This primarily applies to those who have obtained a Master's degree (Master or Magister), a specialist diploma, or a diploma from the Staatsexamen program. Some universities also include a Bachelor's degree in this group.
Obtaining a second higher education is fee-based in some federal states. In Baden-Württemberg (this also applies to non-EU foreigners) and Rhineland-Palatinate, the fee is 650 euros per semester, in Saxony – 350 euros, in Saxony-Anhalt – 500 euros.
Changing your specialty before obtaining a diploma is not considered a second higher education. Nor is studying two specialties simultaneously at one or different universities.
Not all Master's programs are the same
Got a Bachelor's degree in Germany and want to pursue a Master's? Whether it will be considered a first higher education depends on its type. Most Master's programs at German universities are "consecutive" (konsekutiv). They are a logical continuation of studies for Bachelor's graduates in the same or similar field. Such a Master's is considered a first higher education, and no tuition is charged.
There are also postgraduate Master's programs (weiterbildende Masterstudiengänge). These are generally fee-based. They are designed for professionals with work experience and are considered a second higher education. Each program has its own pricing.
For example, a Master's in "Management and Innovation" at the Technical University of Munich costs 28,000 euros. At the University of Frankfurt, you can study management in aviation and tourism for 19,900 euros. The Münster University of Applied Sciences offers an "MBA in Engineering and Natural Sciences" for 6,250 euros.
Semester fee and late study fees
All students at German public universities are required to pay a semester fee – it covers, among other things, the costs of the student cafeteria, sports clubs, language courses, and a student public transport ticket. The amount varies by university. For example, in the upcoming winter semester, at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences it is 76 euros, at the University of Magdeburg – 113 euros, at Cologne Technical University of Applied Sciences – 275 euros, at the University of Bremen – 380 euros.
In Baden-Württemberg, non-EU foreigners pay this fee in addition to the 1,500 euros – at the University of Stuttgart, it is currently 188 euros. Without paying the semester fee, a student is not allowed to study in the next semester.
It is also important to know that if a student prolongs their studies and the duration significantly exceeds the standard program length, some states charge an additional fee (Langzeitstudiengebühren). In Bremen, those who need more than 14 semesters to complete their studies pay 500 euros per semester. In Saxony, after four semesters of delay, each subsequent semester costs 500 euros. Similar rules apply in Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, Saarland, and Thuringia.