Exceptions / Exemptions

Please note that all applications for exemption from the tuition requirement must be submitted to the tuition department before the beginning of the teaching period of the semester you wish to receive the exemption for (§ 6 paragraph 4 of the State University Tuition Law and § 6 paragraph 5 of the “Articles on Charging Student Tuition in Non-Consecutive Master Degree Programs and Postgraduate Degree Programs at the University of Freiburg” (in the following: Articles)).

The following students are exempt from the tuition requirement:

• Doctoral students
  Doctoral students matriculated in a doctoral program as described in § 38 paragraph 2 clause 5 of the State Higher Education Act (LHG) of Baden-Württemberg as well as those matriculated as described in § 38 paragraph 5 of the LHG are exempt from the tuition requirement. This is also true of doctoral students engaged in the aptitude assessment procedure as described in § 38 paragraph 3 clause 2 of the LHG. Doctoral students need not apply for an exemption from the tuition requirement.
  Students in a doctoral program which does not require a prior degree, on the other hand, are required to pay tuition.
  

The regulations described below are valid for undergraduate degree programs and consecutive master degree programs. Exceptions and exemptions which also apply to the non-consecutive master degree programs and postgraduate degree programs are described separately.

• Students on a leave of absence (§ 3 clause 2 no. 1 of the LHGebG and § 2 of the Articles)
  Students who have been granted a leave of absence are exempt from the tuition requirement as long as they submitted their application for a leave of absence before the beginning of the teaching period. It is not necessary to submit a separate application for exemption from the tuition requirement.
  
• Students completing a practical semester (§ 3 clause 2 no. 2 of the LHGebG and § 2 of the Articles)
  Students completing a practical semester, for example as part of a teacher training program (not in modular form), are exempt from the tuition requirement.
  Evidence:
  
• State examination, secondary school teaching course of study:
  Letter from the school at which the practical semester is to be completed certifying that the student is registered at the school. A form that must be filled out and signed by the school may be downloaded at (please click here). Students who complete their block internship in the form of a teaching assistantship of at least six months duration at a school in a foreign country found through the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (German international school exchange service) must provide evidence that they have registered for their block internship at the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst. After completing the practical semester at the school, the student must submit a certificate to the tuition department certifying that he or she has completed the practical semester as well as the accompanying courses (the form)when registering for the following semester at the latest.
• Diplom in Psychology:
  Certificate from the institution at which the internship was completed, including details on when the internship began and ended as well as its form (module or block form). A downloadable form is available for this purpose (please click here). Upon successful completion of the internship, the student must submit an officially authenticated certificate from the examination office for psychology (the form) to the tuition department when registering for the following semester at the latest.
• Ecclesiastical examination, course of study in Catholic Theology:
  No evidence is necessary as students must inform the Archiepiscopal Priest Seminar Collegium Borromaeum directly upon commencing and completing their internship.
• Bachelor of arts in Applied Political Science (major field):
  Initially, no evidence is necessary as students must inform the Department of Political Science directly upon registering for their internship. Upon successful completion of the internship, students must submit a certificate from the company/institution at which the internship was completed to the Tuition Department when registering for the following semester at the latest. A downloadable form to be filled out by the company/institution is available for this purpose (please click here).
• Bachelor of arts in Cultural and Social Anthropology (major field):
  No evidence is necessary as students must inform the Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology directly upon beginning and successfully completing their internship.
• Diplom postgraduate degree program in Interdisciplinary French Studies and master of arts in International Economic Relations:
  No evidence is necessary as students must inform the Center for French Studies directly upon beginning and successfully completing their internship.
• Students completing their practical year (§ 3 clause 2 no. 3 of the LHGebG)
  Students of medicine who are completing their practical year are exempt from the tuition requirement for 2 semesters.
  The dean’s office of the Faculty of Medicine informs the tuition department directly that a student has begun his or her practical year. The student does not need to submit an application in order to confirm that he or she is exempt from the tuition requirement. The student will not receive certificates of enrollment for the first semester of the practical year until he or she has begun it (and paid the student services and administrative fees). If the student needs the certificates of enrollment earlier, he or she must pay the 500 € in tuition fees. The fees will then be refunded once the student has begun the practical year.
  
• Students in a parallel course of study are exempt from paying tuition fees for the course of study with the shorter standard period of study (§6 paragraph 1 clause 2 of the LHGebG)

The following students may apply for an exemption from tuition:

• Students who are caring for and raising a child under fourteen years of age (§ 6 paragraph 1 no. 1 of the LHGebG, 6 § paragraph 3 of the LHGebG in conjunction with § 22 of the LGebG or § 6 paragraph 1 no. 1 of the Articles, § 6 paragraph 4 of the Articles in conjunction with § 22 of the LGebG)
  
  • Students who are caring for and raising a child during winter semester 2008/2009 who was over eight years of age and under fourteen years of age at the beginning of the semester (1 October 2008) are eligible to receive an exemption from the tuition requirement for winter semester 2008/2009 (download application form for exemption here).
  • Students who are caring for and raising a child who is under fourteen years of age at the beginning of the semester (1 April or 1 October) are exempt from the tuition requirement starting in summer semester 2009 . (download form here).
  
  Precondition: Parental care as described in § 1626 BGB (German Civil Code) and life with the child (own child, adopted child, foster child, or children of one’s spouse or partner living in one’s household).
  Evidence (in original or officially authenticated copies):
  Birth certificate(s) of the child/children or, if applicable, certificate of adoption or certificate providing evidence of parental care of the child and current confirmation of resident registration (available from the resident registration office) demonstrating that the applicant lives in a household with the child/children.
  
• Students who have two or more siblings, two of whom are not receiving and have not received an exemption as per § 6 paragraph 1 no. 2 of the LHGebG in the version from 3 Dec. 2008 (§ 6 paragraph 1 no. 2 of the LHGebG and § 6 paragraph 1 no. 2 of the Articles)
  Students who have two or more siblings, two of whom are not receiving and have not received an exemption from the tuition requirement at a state higher education institution in Baden-Württemberg as per § 6 paragraph 1 no. 2 of the LHGebG in the version from 3 Dec. 2008, will receive an exemption from the tuition requirement. It is thus no longer necessary to have at least two siblings who study or pay tuition. For more information, click here to read the press release from the Ministry of Science, Research, and Art.
  Evidence (in original or officially authenticated copies):
  birth certificates of the siblings and the applicant.
• Students with a disability according to the ninth book of the German Social Code (SGB IX) which makes studying considerably more difficult (§ 6 paragraph 1 no. 3 of the LHGebG and § 6 paragraph 1 no. 3 of the Articles)
  Students who have a disability according to § 2 of the ninth book of the German Social Code (SGB IX) which makes it considerably more difficult for them to study are exempt from the tuition requirement.
  Students who are at least 50 % disabled are considered in every case to be confronted with considerable difficulties. Students with a less severe disability must provide evidence of considerable difficulties on a case by case basis.
  Evidence (in original or officially authenticated copies):
  Students who are at least 50 % disabled need only present their identity card for severely disabled persons according to § 69 SGB IX. Students with a less severe disability must submit a letter from the pension office confirming the extent of their disability as well as a certificate from a medical specialist providing concrete evidence that the disability confronts them with considerable difficulties in their studies. This certificate must include information on the cause, severity, previous course, and treatment of the illness, its impact on the student’s ability to study, and a prognosis of the future course of the illness. The description should be comprehensible for non-specialists.
  
  
• Students who need to be enrolled at two universities at the same time (e.g., the College of Music and the university) pay tuition at the institution at which the greater part of their studies takes place (in most cases the College of Music)

Remark concerning the high aptitude regulation:

Following an in-depth discussion with the faculties, the administrative board of the University of Freiburg resolved on 28 Feb., 2008, to suspend the high aptitude regulation until the administrative court (VGH) has reached a final decision on the matter.

Starting in summer semester 2007, the university granted exemptions from the tuition requirement to students who submitted evidence either of a score of at least 130 on a recent intelligence test or a scholarship awarded by an organization for the promotion of gifted persons.
In early January, the administrative court sustatined an appeal by four students who had criticized this regulation as unlawful and demanded that the university also take university-level academic achievement into consideration in such cases.

As the university has applied to the VGH in Mannheim for an appeal against this decision, it has been resolved to await this decision.

This means that students who have been granted an exemption on the grounds of this regulation up to now will no longer be eligible to apply for an exemption starting in summer semester 2008; new applications for an exemption on these grounds will not be accepted until the VGH has reached its final decision either. This regluation is also valid for DAAD scholarship recipients.

Previously accepted applications for exemption from the tuition requirement on the basis of high aptitude remain valid, i.e. exemptions which have already been approved per official notification will not be nullified.