The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has announced that it will reintroduce tuition fees for all students from non-European Union countries.
Confirming the decision, the University President, Thomas Hofmann, said the tuition fees for non-EU students will start applying from the winter semester of the academic year 2024/2025.
As Hofmann revealed, the fees for non-EU students will range between € 2,000-3000 per semester for bachelor’s programmes.
On the other hand, the fees will be higher for those in master’s programmes. As explained, non-EU students will be required to pay between €4,000-6,000 per semester when pursuing their master’s studies in the TUM.
According to the Munich Eye, since the Free State of Bavaria lifted general tuition fees for all students, TUM is the only university that has decided to reinstate its fees for non-EU students.
Justifying the university’s decision, Hofmann said that they need to make further investments in order to be able to attract more international students.
“We are in a rapidly evolving international competition to attract the best students. Therefore, we are compelled to continually enhance our teaching quality. This requires further investments in education that cannot be solely funded by state resources,” the statement of Hofmann reads.
In addition, Hofmann noted that the funding will be exclusively used to improve the quality of teaching, which will benefit all students.
As data show, currently, there are around 50,000 students enrolled at TUM, with about 30 per cent of them potentially subject to tuition fees soon.
Comparing the fees at TUM and other international universities, Hofmann said that they are significantly lower. The same stressed that the university will continue to provide scholarships for all students, regardless of their country of origin.
While the reintroduction of tuition fees has been seen as necessary by the university, Student Representation has opposed the decision.
David Vadasz, who is a student representative, said that TUM should continue to support talented students and stressed that this decision could lead to a gradual reintroduction of fees for all students in Bavaria.
“TUM should continue to be a university that prioritises the support of talented students. Students should not be dependent on their parents’ income or job availability to financially secure their education, regardless of their origin,” Vadasz stated.
Even though the decision of the university seems to be final, Student Representation said it hopes that the university makes efforts to ensure students’ participation from different countries.
