Is it true that University education is free for all in Germany?

Question

Apart from having to learn the language, pay for boarding and living expenses, are there other hidden costs?

Answer 1

University education is free in many European countries, Germany included. Some require you to be a resident, and fluent in the local language. Others require you to be a citizen. But in general, they require residency and fluency in the local language. And there may be some fees to the university, of some sort, but no where near what's normally paid to universities in the US.

But there usually are not enough university spaces for all applicants. And if you are allowed into a university, you may not be admitted into your first choice university, or into your first choice field of study. For example, if you apply for journalism, that major may fill, and you will not be given journalism. Instead, you will be required to take your second choice major instead.

In addition, the quality of the education is sometimes questionable. Universities in some countries are poorly funded. Greece, for example, is having issues.

But if you care to try this, and don't already have fluency in a language, try Iceland. You can actually study at some of their universities in English for your first year. By your second year, you must be taking your classes in Icelandic.

Or try Charles University, in the Czech Republic. It's a respected university, and if you become fluent in Czech (not easy, btw), your courses are free. Or their university in Brno, also fairly respectable.

Or yes, try Germany. Know, however, that many German universities are not amongst the best in Europe. Be aware of the respectability of any university you attempt to enroll in.

Other countries that offer free tuition to either residents, fluent in the local language, or to citizens, include Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia, and others.

And then there are the immigration issues... which is why I suggested the Czech Republic and Iceland. To my knowledge, you don't need to be a resident of those countries to attend their unis for free. But you must be (or become) fluent in the local language, and neither Czech nor Icelandic are a cakewalk.

But again, be cautious about the quality of the school. In general, universities in the US are much stronger than those in Europe. There are some specific exceptions, but in general, be careful. Also, be sure that any degree that you take is actually the equivalent of a bachelor's in the US. Some are not, and employers will often ask that foreign credentials be certified by an independant body to ensure that they are equal to those of the US. So again, be aware of what you are getting.

And - are you very bright? If you are, there are some free schools, right here in the US:

The Cooper Union, in NYC
Olin College, in Massachusetts
The Curtis Institute, in Philadelphia
The Yale School of Music, in New Haven

Of course, CU only offers art, architecture and engineering. Olin is only engineering. Curtis and Yale are both music. All are *highly* competitive.

There are other schools that are free - the military academies, for example - but I believe you need to be a resident of the US.

The other option is to go any school that has a ROTC program. Then the military will pay for your studies - so long as you major in specific things, and join the military afterwards. But again, I believe you need to be a resident of the US.

Answer 2

I don't think it's free if you don't already live there. They pay for it in their taxes, but if you don't live there, you haven't been paying. Also, getting into college in Germany is hard to do - they certainly don't take everyone.