Tuition Fees ...and Ill be out...

[brainless 0]

Beginning in the summer term of 2007, we will have to pay tuition fees in Lower Saxony (Germany); even though university studies were free up to now.

A few weeks ago, our secretary of education wrote an open letter to inform all students in Lower Saxony "first-hand" about the facts concerning tuition fees - for those who understand german: I have mirrored it to my personal webspace on the uni's server: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/error/error.html

The tuition fees will be 500 Euros per semester in all Lower Saxony.This model has to be revised with respect to social problems after its introduction. Students who've been studying more than 4 terms longer than the regular studying time is will have to pay higher tuition fees of 600 to 800 Euros.

actually, we're already paying about 200 Euros per term, some of it for purposes I accept, some of it (80 Euros) for stuff which should be covered by tax money.
Even if I manage to stay within the regular studying time, I will have to come up with 1400 Euros per year, somehow.

But: It's impossible to study english and physics at the same time at my university because one of my english lectures happens to be at the same time as my experimental physics lecture. Guess what I've been told to do? "Attend the english lecture next year, it will be held again".
That wouldn't be a problem if the studies were free.
well, next year will be in two terms. That'll add two terms to the time I'm studying. Half of what I'm allowed to need longer before I've got to pay additional 200-600 Euros per year. What if I fail one module for some reason? Right, I'll have to do it again the next year - but while others may fail two modules before exceeding their limit, I may only fail one.
talk about equal conditions for everyone...

...and unfortunately, that's not all I've got to rant about:

The profits gained from tuition fees will be used by the universities to improve studying conditions, not to create more subjects which can be studied.

yeah, we absolutely need more money to convince our american/british studies-person to use the (already installed) microphone and the (already installed) speakers so every single person in the 150+-audience can understand her.
Last week, we asked her to use the mic because noone except for the first rows was able to (acoustically) understand her. "I won't do so because I don't like this thing. It'll have to work out without the microphone..." - half an hour later I couldn't understand her anymore even though I've been in the third row. Two hours of wasted time, if you ask me. I'll have to pay for stuff like that in one and a half years...

The tuition fees may not prevent anyone from beginning or proceeding his/her studies. Therefore all students will have the right to a low-interest loan which will be paid back beginning two years after graduation or abortion of studies.

So I will have to pay even more if I can't afford paying the credit back at once?
Low interest is still too much interest for me, there's a reason why my bank told me that they won't give me a loan...

...and I didn't even start with the reasons why we need to pay fees for an education (I hope you can guess what the reasons are when I tell you that they're completely based on empty phrases...)

[jlhaslip 4]

Sounds to me like you have a point there, but on the other hand, 500 euros per semester sounds cheap to me. Tuition here is a lot higher than that. I paid $500 per semester 30 years ago. Tuition only. Books, fees, living were in addition to that. Unforunately, you got into a schedule squeeze on the physics/english thing. Hope it works out for you.

[xaetos 0]

I know the feeling.. I'm not in university yet, but I still managed to get more than $700(cdn) in school fees this year, and I didn't even buy all my books new. I'm taking two AP (Advanced Placement - university level) courses, calculus ab and chemistry, so thats $100 for each book and $125 for each AP exam. Plus I had all my other books and materials fees. Even though my parents paid for all of it, it was still too much for a highschool student to pay. I think the main problem is that the government here won't subsidise our AP books like they do for the regular courses - they're actually trying to phase the courses out..Anyways. Near as I can tell, I'll have some pretty high education costs once I graduate high school this summer. Just.. live with it, I guess, 'cause there's nothing that can be done about it while you're still studying. The governments only there to make money, anyways..

[ameribass 0]

Man, that just makes you appreciate school that much more, doesn't it? Man, I really feel for you, especially because of the fact that you guys didn't have to pay anything up to this point. I was born in Germany, and was aware of all the great gifts that the country has to offer to its citizens, healthcare and eduction being the ones that stand out the most. I moved to America as a young one, and the situation here is just a little different than the one that you are currently in. Here, we pay anywhere around $40,000 and upwards per year. That doesn't include the cost of books, board, and any other fees that the school feels like charging its members. It's out-of-control over here, so I hope just that fact alone helps you feel better. I wish the best of luck to you in coming up with that extra money that you are going to need and good luck in your future studies at school. Just don't forget, it's the most important thing that you need to have a bright future ahead of you, so whatever you do, don't decide to drop school just because it's too expensive. And since you are here at Xisto hosting your own website and all, there's always some type of e-commerce that you can look to for financial help. Good luck and tell us anything new that may come up!!

[elevenmil 0]

Be glad you don't get your education in America. Here, for a state-owned college, you can expect to spend anywhere from 10-20,000 per year in expenses. Currently I attend a college where my cost per year is around 12,000. But as stated earlier there are colleges with tuition rates that are unbelievable (those that are private schools), some rates top 30-40,000, including colleges that are unheard of! I know of a university that charges over 30,000 a year and has roughly 2,000 total students. Most of America has never heard of this school, yet it is extremely expensive to go there.It's unfortunate your universities are changing things, but that's just the way things are. Everyone adjusts to changes. Tuition rates in Pennsylvania, in particular, state-owned schools, rates climb around 5-10% a year (in my estimation). As each year passes it become more rediculous, the cost of an education is climbing rapidly, yet minimum wage remains the same. Congress is debating the issue on whether to cut funds for organizations handing out loans and grants to those who are qualified. It gets worse and worse every year.

[shigajet 0]

Many of Canada's universities are facing the same problem...well, at least the ones in Ontario. Due to inadequate funding from the government (both federal and provincial) over the past decade or so, tuition fees have gone up dramatically. The only university I heard of where there has been a freeze on tuition fees for at least 30 or so years is McGill University (also one of the top medical schools in Canada).

[wariorpk 0]

Wow thats really cheap I have no idea what you are complaining about. Where I live (The United States) you pay alot for college and I am not talking about a few hundred dollars I am talking about a few thousand at least. Be thankful you have it as good as you do.

[midnightvamp 1]

I feel for you.... but when I was reading it I was thinking, 500 euros? That's like 600 Canadian isn't it? That's not bad.... I usually look at about that much for books alone. The tuition on top of that is around 4500 dollars here, and that doesn't include housing or food or anything like that. If you were looking to stay in residence it's closer to 12,000 dollars here. And this is only for a college, not even a university.I really hate having to pay such high tuitions (and I feel bad for those in the states with even higher ones) but if the government isn't going to fund our schools properly, what are we supposed to do?It's really nothing for some people here to work a part time job to get through school - I do... and many other people I know do. Still, lots of us end up with 20 - 40 thousand dollar debts at the end of it all. And sometimes even higher.I wish tuitions were covered everywhere, because it's not like we aren't paying taxes for education already...

[brainless 0]

I know that 500 euros isn't that much, compared with other countries...

 

...I really thought that Germany had a great educational system until a few years ago (even though there was always some kind of social selection attested by several studies ... those whose parents are rich more often go to high school and university than people with non-rich parents) but then corporate taxes were decreased a lot, politicians began whining about not getting enough taxes [right ... corporate tax cuts here did not increase employment rates here even though both politicians and CEOs promised that] - and gues who's gotta pay for decisions made against the public's opinion?

 

well, we've still got state support for people studying which is, IMHO, very good (up to 585 Euros per month to cover rent, food, books, a little partying; the actual amount varies depending on your social background, whether you're living at homeor not; how much money there is on your bank account etc) which is being given interest-free with 10,000 Euros debt maximum - and if you didn't find a job within 7 years after finishing studying, this debt will be cancelled.

The tuition fees-loan however, will not be interest-free - so people who can't pay them at once will pay more, way more, for the same education the rich guy got. Where's our constitutional "the state tries to minimize social inequality" gone? I definitely need some time to send some bulk email to every delegate to the state's council who voted in favor of tuition fees asking them waht the f*** they think they've done...