New Rules for Tuition Fees from Summer Semester 2009

The new rules for tuition fees came into force as of the summer semester 2009. According to the new rules, students who do not exceed the study time allotted to each part of their degree course or program by more than two semesters no longer have to pay tuition fees. There have also been additions to the list of exemptions.

With effect from the summer semester 2009, the following persons will not have to pay tuition fees:

  • Austrian nationals
  • recipients of an Austrian stipend
  • students who are citizens of an EU or EEA member state
  • Swiss nationals
  • foreign nationals who under international treaty are granted the same access to education and training as Austrian nationals (includes citizens of third countries with permanent residence)
  • students who are refugees for the purposes of the Convention on the Legal Status of Refugees, subject to the proviso that they do not exceed the study time allotted to each part of their degree course or program by more than two semesters.

Exemption from the payment of tuition fees is possible in the event of

  • military or civilian service lasting longer than two months per semester. This can be taken into account only if the said military or civilian service is completed during that part of the degree course or bachelor's, master's, or doctoral program for which exemption is being sought. Military or civilian service completed prior to this will not be taken into account;
  • sickness or pregnancy which prevents the student from studying for longer than two months per semester;
  • childcare responsibilities for a child or children not yet of school age (in most cases under 7) which prevent the student from studying for longer than two months per semester;
  • employment above and beyond the minimum income threshold;
  • a disability of at least 50% according to Austrian regulations.

Non-degree students are not affected by the new rules.

The new rules will be implemented as follows:

Universities must first ascertain whether the study time allotted to each part of the student's degree course or bachelor's, master's, or doctoral program (plus two additional semesters) has been exceeded.

To facilitate this, please submit all the examinations scheduled for Part 1 of your degree course upon completion so that you can be furnished with the relevant certificate.

Students who have not exceeded the allotted study time will not be required to pay tuition fees. These students only have to pay the Austrian Student Union fee ("ÖH-Beitrag").

Students who have exceeded the allotted study time (plus two additional semesters) must pay the university a tuition fee of € 363.36 (plus the Austrian Student Union fee) upon registration for the next semester. The sum due shall increase by 10% if the fee is not paid immediately, but only within the grace period.

The "allotted study time" is the time the curriculum allots to each part of a degree course. Since the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are not divided into separate parts, the "allotted study time" in these cases relates to the whole program.

Students who have registered for more than one course or program-whether at the same or at a different university-must pay their tuition fees as soon as they become due in at least one of their courses or programs.

Exemption from tuition fees is subject to the following rules:

Students who are called upon to pay tuition fees when registering for the next semester can apply to the university for exemption.

The following documents are required as proof of grounds for exemption:

  1. Military or civilian service: letter of confirmation from the commanding officer or agency responsible for civilian service
  2. Sickness or pregnancy preventing the student from studying: a doctor's note
  3. Childcare responsibilities: child's birth certificate, residents' registration form for both the child and the student as well as an affidavit by the student providing the childcare
  4. Employment: statement of income tax from the tax authorities
  5. Disability: disability pass issued by the Austrian Department of Social Services

In cases of doubt, the tuition fee must first be paid, since otherwise the student may be refused admission.

Students can request the refund of any tuition fees paid which according to the above rules need not have been paid. The refund request must be sent to the university to which the fees were paid. Before the fees can be refunded, however, it must first be established that tuition fees were not due at a different institution.

The refund request must be submitted no later than six months after payment of the tuition fees being reclaimed.

For further information in German: http://www.bmwf.gv.at/submenue/studienbeitraege/

Residence permits issued before 2006 which are recognized by the Ministry:

  • Permanent residence permit for all purposes
  • Permanent residence permit for all purposes excluding employment
  • Permanent residence permit for family member excluding employment
  • Permanent residence permit for family member excluding employment and self-employment
  • Permanent residence permit, private purposes

Residence permits issued after 2006 which are recognized by the Ministry:

  • Permanent residence⎯EC, issued by the relevant Austrian authority
  • Permanent residence⎯EC, issued by the relevant authority in a different member state (citizens of third countries in possession of such a permit still need a student's residence permit before they can study at an Austrian university)
  • Permanent residence card, issued by the relevant Austrian authority
  • If a student who is a citizen of a third country is receiving an Austrian stipend, then clearly the said student is in possession of a permanent residence permit and the decision to grant him or her a stipend counts as proof of his or her legal status as a permanent resident. In this case, the notice granting the stipend from the Austrian stipend authority can be submitted in lieu of the documents required above.

Please note that the aforementioned group cannot be taken account of automatically. We would therefore be grateful if you would report to the Programs and Examinations Department with the documents requested.