Free
education in Germany
Introduction
The German government has made the
internationalization of higher education a strategic objective.
Internationalization has various benefits ranging from positive impacts on the
quality of research and education to enhancing the global reputation of academic
institutions. It also has a number of economic “spill over” effects. It can
help alleviate Germany’s skilled labor shortages and stimulate immigration. As
illustrated by a detailed 2013 study commissioned
by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), foreign students in Germany
yield a considerable economic net gain for society. This holds true despite
high public expenditures on foreign students, and the fact that German
universities charge virtually no tuition fees, even for international students.
Germany as an
Education Destination
Between 2013 and
2015, the number of international students enrolled at German institutions rose
from 282,201 to 321,569, an increase of almost 14 percent. In 2015, China was the largest source country, accounting for
12.8 percent of inbound students, followed by India and Russia with 4.9 percent each. U.S. students only accounted for 1.7 percent of international enrolments
in Germany. Despite increased interest in Germany as a study destination over
the past decade, North American students prefer more popular European destinations like the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and France.
The German
government seeks to further increase the country’s international student
population to a total of 350.000 students by 2020. A joint position paper, issued by the federal and state governments in 2013, calls for
the “strategic internationalization” of universities, better integration of
foreign students, and increased funding for transnational partnerships and
international marketing. It also advocates expanding the number of
English-taught degree programs at German universities. This recommendation
stems from the fact that mandatory German language requirements for most degree
programs represent a substantial obstacle to enrolling foreign students. The
number of English-taught master’s programs has increased considerably in recent years and currently accounts for approximately ten percent of
all programs. Undergraduate-level programs, on the other hand, are still taught
almost exclusively in German.
One of the most
significant developments for the further internationalization of German higher
education is the recent mass arrival of Indian students on German campuses.
India is, after China, the second largest sending country of international
students worldwide, and the number of mobile Indian students is projected to
grow. Between 2014 and 2015, Indian enrollments in German institutions of
higher education grew by a remarkable 24.4 percent to a total of 11,655 students, and India overtook Russia as the second
largest country of origin for foreign students studying on German campuses. In
light of these trends, some researchers predict that Germany could soon overtake the UK to become the
largest market for international education in Europe.
· Tuition
fees in Germany
If
you want to study in Germany, you’ll be happy to
know that public universities do not charge tuition fees for Bachelor’s and
Master’s programmes (except if you plan to pursue a Master's degree that
focuses on a different subject than the one you studied as a Bachelor’s
student). The German free tuition system is available for all foreign students,
regardless of their country of origin.
·
Cost of living in Germany
for students
Not only can you study for free in Germany, but it is also a
pretty affordable country. The average costs of living for students range
between 700 - 1,000 EUR/month, including accommodation.
Cheaper options for international students are residence halls or sharing a
privately rented apartment. You can also rent a one-room apartment (also called
a studio).
Fear of student debt
Germany has free tuition are
tradition and a "totally different understanding of the role education
plays." People in Germany see higher education as "a public good, a
way to train specialists that then benefit the public. “In the Anglo-Saxon
world, people tend to see the "individual benefits, such as better career
prospects and a higher income.” Germany is also committed to free
tuition because of its goal of making a university education possible for
children from low-income families. In the 1960s and ‘70s in Germany, there was
a discussion about widespread access to higher education, in conjunction with
support for free tuition.
IN BRIEF: THE GERMAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Germany
has a federal system of government which grants its 16 member states a high
degree of autonomy in education policy. The Federal Ministry of Education in
Berlin has a role in funding, financial aid, and the regulation of vocational
education and entry requirements in the professions. But most other aspects of
education fall under the authority of the individual states, or “Bundesländer”.
A
federal law, the “Hochschulrahmengesetz,”
provides an overarching legal framework for higher education. A coordinating
body, the “Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Culture,”
facilitates the harmonization of policies among states. Regulations and laws
are consistent in many areas, but there can still be considerable differences
in key areas. In the recent past, for instance, the length of the secondary
education cycle varied from state to state. And different political approaches
to tuition fees in different states meant that students in some states were
paying €1,000 (USD $1,100) in annual fees while their peers across state lines
studied for free.
No comments:
Post a Comment