Germany abolishes tertiary tuition fees

By: Together Abroad 22-10-2014

While tuition fees for increased across many countries, Germany has announced that it would re-provide a tuition-free tertiary education system.

The decision to implement fees went into effect in 2006 but it was met with backlash – many argued that public universities should not be charging for education. Soon, individual states started repealing this mandate to revert back to free tertiary education.

Lower Saxony was the last state in Germany to abolish its tuition fees for university students. “We got rid of tuition fees because we do not want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents,” said Gabrielle Heinen-Kljajic, Minister for Science and Culture.

The German government stated that they believe in the justice of free tuition and motivating the young generation to approach higher education, even without family support.