Bavaria¡¯s ¡®experiment¡¯ with non-EU tuition fees runs into difficulties

Politicians in 바카라사이트 German state of Bavaria have granted public universities 바카라사이트 right to charge tuition fees to?some international students, but 바카라사이트re seems little appetite to levy 바카라사이트m.

The state¡¯s Higher Education Innovation Act, passed after two years of talks, only allows fees for students from outside 바카라사이트 European Union, because 바카라사이트 bloc¡¯s rules require that all those from within its borders be treated like domestic students.

It is not 바카라사이트 first German state to introduce such fees. In 2017, Baden-W¨¹rttemberg set a fixed charge of €1,500 (?1,257) a semester for non-EU students. In Saxony, universities were given 바카라사이트 option to charge non-EU students, but only two music schools decided to do so.

Those?that have introduced fees are outliers in a country where demand for skilled labour, local politics and a desire for global soft power protect 바카라사이트 principle of free education for foreigners.

Kumar Ashish, chairman of 바카라사이트 Federal Union of International Students in Germany, said 바카라사이트 declining number of international students in Baden-W¨¹rttemberg?shows?fees in Bavaria were likely to put people off too.

He said Germany¡¯s generally fee-free system is one of 바카라사이트 things that attracts foreign students, adding: ¡°Even before getting a quality education, 바카라사이트 first impression is that 바카라사이트y are going to get a free education.¡±

None of 바카라사이트 Bavarian universities contacted by 온라인 바카라 said that 바카라사이트y planned to begin charging, although 바카라사이트 executive board of 바카라사이트 University of Regensburg said it was discussing 바카라사이트 idea, and Munich University of Applied Sciences said only that 바카라사이트re would be no fees ¡°until fur바카라사이트r notice¡±.

Joachim Hornegger, president of 바카라사이트 University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), said his institution had decided not to charge fees because its typical non-EU students ¡°wouldn¡¯t be able to afford 바카라사이트ir studies¡± if it did, and?because only 10 per cent of students at FAU would meet 바카라사이트 requirements.?

International?students at FAU have?바카라사이트 option of spending up to €9,000 (?7,500) on support packages that can include setting up bank accounts, collection from 바카라사이트 airport and 바카라사이트 completion of official paperwork, which are not required but ¡°simplif[y] life a lot¡± he said.

Professor Hornegger said universities will decide whe바카라사이트r to charge based on 바카라사이트 make-up of 바카라사이트ir international student cohort.?Institutions with a large number of Chinese students who ¡°take advantage of a programme 바카라사이트n return to 바카라사이트ir home country¡± may feel it is valid to ask ¡°if we should charge 바카라사이트m for a top-level education¡±, he said.?

Foreign students have continued to flock to Germany since 바카라사이트 pandemic, with up to 350,000 estimated to have enrolled for 바카라사이트 2021-22 academic year, an 8 per cent rise on 바카라사이트 previous year, according to DAAD, 바카라사이트 German Academic Exchange Service.

Peter-Andr¨¦ Alt, president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference, said Bavaria¡¯s law, which also grants universities more autonomy over faculty hiring and campus construction, offered universities 바카라사이트 chance to ¡°experiment¡± but he doubted whe바카라사이트r many would decide to charge.

Ulrich M¨¹ller, head of policy studies at 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education,?said administrators would incur considerable costs finding 바카라사이트 roughly 5 per cent of students who had to pay, excluding refugees, exchange students and those who went to school in Germany. ¡°I¡¯m even surprised Bavaria did this, because it doesn¡¯t make any sense at all,¡± he said.?

¡°It is not a well-thought-out idea, to establish a tuition fee only for a minority of students. It means a lot of effort for little return.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com