With a demonstration in front of the main entrance to the Technical University of Munich (TUM) on Tuesday, students protested against the partial introduction of tuition fees. From the winter semester of 2024/25 onwards, the TUM wants to charge fees to students from non-EU countries – depending on the course of study, between 2,000 and 6,000 euros per semester, i.e. between 4,000 and 12,000 euros per year.
It is discrimination “when the country of origin determines who is allowed to realize their dreams and who is not,” said medical student Dilara Özsavaş, reading a prepared statement from the group of students from non-EU countries. This fears that people who cannot afford the fees would be excluded from higher education.
There is also criticism of the level of fees. This is “completely inappropriate,” said Meltem Çavdar, doctoral student and research assistant at TUM. The students are demanding that the university reverse the fee decision.
Only about 20 to 30 people had gathered on Arcisstrasse. But they all protested not for their own interests – the fees will only apply to new enrollees – but for the fact that future students should have the same opportunities as themselves.
Kilian Steinberg, student representative of the School of Engineering and Design, was apparently the only German TUM student to take part in the protest. The student representative was rather against the fees, he said. But since it had already been decided, the focus was on areas where one could still have an influence: on the question of the use of income and the planned awarding of scholarships.
The TUM justified the introduction of the fees by saying that they wanted to use them to improve the quality of teaching. The university expects a low double-digit million amount per year. Scholarships will be available for up to 20 percent of affected students.
The specific design of the scholarship system is still being worked out, said TUM press spokesman Ulrich Meyer, who took part in the rally as an observer. Universities in Bavaria have had the opportunity to charge tuition fees from non-EU foreigners since the “Higher Education Innovation Act” came into force in 2023. To date, TUM is the only university to use this opportunity.