Germany offers free tuition for international university students?

Question

For start off, I have a British nationality, but I live in China (incase it has something to do with my nationality or where I live). I heard from a teacher at school from Germany that their country offers free tuition for international university students. I would like to know if ......well......it is true, under what circumstances, if it is only any particular universities, if it includes subjects design or architecture......things like that. Thanks

Answer 1

I think you are right. Have a look at the following sites. All of them.

Germany - Prospective Students - The University of Auckland

Information on entry requirements, special support, alumni, representatives, agents and clubs for prospective international students from Germany

auckland.ac.nz/uoa/for/prospective/...... - Cached

Study in Germany

FREE International Graduate Europe. E-Magazine. Home > ... no tuition fees levied at German universities for either German students or foreign nationals. ...

www.internationalgraduate.net/country/... - Cached

Graduate Study in Germany - Your First Choice

FREE International Graduate. E-Magazine. Home > Article ... no tuition fees levied at German universities for either German students or foreign nationals. ...

www.internationalgraduate.net/germany.... - Cached

Tilburg University - Immigration Procedures for International Students

Free Mover Students. Why Tilburg University. Programmes. Tuition Fees. Application and Admission ... Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, ...

www.tilburguniversity.nl/prospectivest... - Cached

Scholarships information for international applicants to Queen Mary ...

... for international applicants to Queen Mary, University of ... All applicants must be liable to pay tuition fees at the rate for international students. ...

www.qmul.ac.uk/international/scholarsh... - Cached

International Admission Requirements - Student Services - Simon Fraser ...

This could be done FREE at one of the following links, depending ... for transfer credit toward a similar program at a leading university in your home country. ...

students.sfu.ca/admission/requirements...

Answer 2

The "free tuition" has been changing in recent years, as Unis in Germany begin to get tighter with their budgets, and have been adding more fees.  I went to Uni for a year in Mainz (2003 - 2004) and there was a protest (of maybe 5000 + people) because the Uni was planning to charge around $600 - 1000 per year, which was up from around $300.  There was even a protester who interrupted a lecture I was in with a guitar and began singing "Freedom Songs" by Bob Marley.  Since I was paying nearly $30,000 for the year of study abroad, I found it hard to sympathize with them.  

Still, there are a couple of things you should be aware of.

1) You need to pass a German proficiency exam before you can enroll.  It requires a fairly high level of German and you will need a good deal of formal study before you can pass it.  You need to do this in either your home country, or in Germany, at a language school (which will charge tuition).  

2) Tuition may be minimal at the German institutions, but you still need to pay your living expenses (food, lodging, etc.)  As the German unemployment rate is a little high, they are not too keen on giving working visas to foreign students, although sometimes you can find work at English langauge schools, like Berlitz.

3) One of the side effects of the low tuition (and shrinking budgets) is overcrowding in the classes.  Enrollment is often based on a first come, first served basis.  When I was in Mainz, once the enrollment limit was reached, anyone who was waiting was told, "better luck next semester."  I knew people who had been waiting up to 5 years to just get into a single class.  A result of this, is that it takes some people 10 years or more, just to graduate.

I was able to avoid problem #3 by going through Middlebury College's (Middlebury Vermont) excellent study abroad program.  Middlebury has an arrangement with the Mainz Uni so that their exchange students are allowed to enroll in classes 95% of the time, regardless of whether they are full or not.  Of course, the German students sometimes resent you for this, but most of them don't and most of them are simply unaware of this special treatment.  

I hope this helps you out.  Viel Glueck.