FAQs regarding the Studierendenwerk Fee

The Basic Fee dates back to the concept of a mutually supportive community, from which the Studierendenwerke initially arose. The idea is that all students pay the same amount of money as an act of solidarity. It’s not important whether or to what extent they use the Studierendenwerk’s services. So it may occur that a student never goes to a canteen, does not receive any BAföG, does not live in a hall of residence, does not have a child that goes to one of our childcare centres, does not require the services provided by our Advice and Counselling Network and does not go to any of our events during the entire course of their studies. The student will nevertheless need to pay the entire Basic Fee. Because there are plenty of students who do use the services provided by the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern that help and support them during their studies. Basically, all students club together to create a social infrastructure that provides equal opportunities for all students during their studies.

You are enrolled at a university this semester, but have forgotten to re-register for the upcoming semester within the stipulated period?
That means you will very likely be taken off your university’s register.

In this case, please get in touch only with your university and subsequently transfer the full amount as quickly as possible.

Because, you need to transfer the Basic Fee or Studierendenwerk Fee to your university.
The university, in turn, transfers a large overall amount to the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern. This amount corresponds to the total number of enrolled students, but does not say anything about individual students’ payments.

Thus, it is IMPOSSIBLE for the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern to reconstruct which students have or have not paid their fee with their university.

So please get in touch with your university, i.e. with the Office of the University Registrar or the office responsible for matriculation.

Listed below, you will find the links to the three largest universities for purposes that have to do with re-registering or with the Basic Fee / Studierendenwerk Fee:

LMU

https://www.lmu.de/en/workspace-for-students/abc-study-guide/continuation-of-registration/index.html

Any further questions? Please turn to the Office of the University Registrar: https://www.lmu.de/en/study/important-contacts/office-of-the-university-registrar/team-and-services/index.html .

TUM

https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees, (under “Semester Fees”)

Any further questions? Please turn to the TUM Center for Study and Teaching, Fees and Scholarships: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees (under “Information on financing your studies”).

HM University of Applied Sciences

https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/im_studium/mein_studium/verlauf/rueckmeldung.de.html

Any further questions? Please turn to the department Studierendenservice - Studienbeiträge: https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/im_studium/rund_ums_studium/personen/st-service.de.html .

The number of students is growing and is becoming more diverse: for instance, the universities as well as their students are becoming more and more international and the rising number of campuses is demanding a lot from the services provided by the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern. In accordance with Art. 121 (2) s. 1 of the Bavarian university regulations (BayHIG), the contributions are based on the expenditure that is necessary in order to carry out the tasks of the Studierendenwerke, and this expenditure is continuously increasing. This largely concerns, for instance with regard to the Accommodation Department, the renovation, repair and new construction of halls of residence; further major issues are the permanent adaptation of our advisory and counselling services to meet the students’ diverse needs, also regarding inclusive matters, the high quality of our childcare and the demand-oriented expansion of our gastronomic services, also at new campuses, in times of decreasing subsidies.

The Board of Administrators of the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern agreed to the amendment of the bylaws on 28th February 2023 by way of circulation. The bylaws’ amendment was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Administrators on the same day and subsequently went out to the universities. Upon their announcement, the bylaws already came into effect in the summer semester 2023; the Basic Fee, however, will only be raised to 85 euros as of the winter semester 2023/24. This is due to the fact that the universities always require a certain amount of time before an increase of the Basic Fee, in order to be able to communicate the amount to their students for the purpose of re-registering.

Despite the fact that the Basic Fee was raised to 85 euros, the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern is still around the national average of all the Studentenwerke and Studierendenwerke in Germany in the summer semester 2023. Almost every second German Studierendenwerk charges 85 euros or more, in most cases even providing less services than the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern. Increasing the fee by 10 euros offers the Studierendenwerk a certain degree of planning security, absorbs cost increases that have already occurred and will prevent the Basic Fee having to be raised each year.

Since the Basic Fee was last increased three years ago, unfortunately the general situation has altogether intensified. The coronavirus pandemic (financial loss due to shut downs), war and energy crisis, in combination with supply shortages or standstills, raw material shortages, the necessary expansion of remote working, exceedingly increasing wages as well as rising costs of numerous goods and services – all these are points that have led to increased costs in almost all areas of services provided by the Studierendenwerk. For that reason, it is unfortunately absolutely necessary for the Studierendenwerk München Oberbayern to raise its Basic Fee as of the winter semester 2023/24. Since the Studierendenwerk has abstained from raising the Basic Fee over the last three years, it is now all the more important to raise the amount so as to be able to cover the increased costs of the last few years. Because, apart from constantly sinking state subsidies, there are only few possibilities for Studierendenwerke to generate additional income. However, this is necessary for covering expenses.

The Board of Administrators passed the rise in February 2023. The issue was already taken up in Autumn 2022; in February, the universities were consulted, as stipulated by law. On 1st March 2023, the increase was communicated via new bylaws and has thus come into force.

The reason for that could be that you transferred the money from another country. If that was the case, fees can be charged, in some cases up to 20 euros, e.g. from China. The banks decide upon the amount and deduct the fee from the amount you transferred.
So please enquire with your bank whether or not a fee was deducted and how much it was.

Then transfer the remaining amount to your university as quickly as possible, including the same data (e.g. matriculation number / applicant number)!

Please get in touch with your university as quickly as possible (matriculation office, office of the university registrar, application hotline or similar) to enquire what must be done.

With some universities, it is possible to simply transfer the remaining difference; sometimes, however, you also need to contact your university.

Please get in touch with your university as quickly as possible (matriculation office, office of the university registrar, application hotline or similar) to enquire what must be done.

With some universities it is enough to simply transfer the amount as quickly as possible; sometimes, you need to get in touch with the office of the university registrar or the matriculation office.
So please enquire directly with your university.

Please get in touch with your university as quickly as possible (matriculation office, office of the university registrar, application hotline or similar) to enquire what must be done.
If you enquire with the Studierendenwerk, your enquiry cannot be forwarded to the university due to data protection regulations.

You have finished your studies, but have already re-registered for the upcoming semester. However, you will no longer be studying in the coming semester.

If you would now like to get your Basic Fee back, please turn to your university, i.e. the office responsible for matriculation or the Office of the University Registrar. They will be able to tell you whether you need to actively do something and have your name taken off the university's register, whether you need to observe other deadlines or if the money will automatically be transferred back to your account.

PLEASE NOTE: In general, there is a five-week deadline after the semester has started. In most cases, also your student ID must be returned to your university!

The most important information for the three largest universities is provided below:

 
LMU (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)

Deadline: up to five weeks after the following semester has started

What do I need to do? Whom must I contact? The LMUcard must be returned.
Your LMUcard as your student ID must at the latest reach the Sub-Unit 2 of the Office of the University Registrar five weeks after the following semester has begun. Otherwise, you won’t be reimbursed!

Please note:

You won’t receive your LMUcard back; therefore, please make sure to take off any money you still have on your card before handing it in.

Source:

https://www.lmu.de/en/workspace-for-students/abc-study-guide/exmatriculation/index.html

 
TUM (Technical University of Munich)

Deadline:

A) Disenrollment before the semester for which you want to be reimbursed has begun:

What do I need to do? Whom must I contact?
A) In this case, your university needs to receive your student ID at the latest five weeks after the semester has started so that it can be made invalid. In order for this to be carried out you need to hand it in at the Service Desk on the main campus or send it in by the deadline. You also need to fill in an application, which is available in your TUMonline account under “Tuition Fees”.

Source: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees-and-financial-aid/refund-of-student-union-fees

Deadline:
B) Disenrollment after the semester has begun, taking effect within 5 weeks after lectures have started:

What do I need to do? Whom must I contact?
B) Your student ID must be made invalid by your university on the same day your disenrollment takes place. So make sure to hand it over in time or send the card by registered post, on the day of your disenrollment, to: TUM CST Beiträge und Stipendien, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 München.

Source:

https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees-and-financial-aid/refund-of-student-union-fees

 
HM (University of Applied Sciences)

Deadline:
What do I need to do? Whom must I contact?
You need to disenroll within five weeks after the following semester has started using the university’s tool “PRIMUSS Online-Services”, see:

https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/career_alumni/alumni/studienabschluss/abschluss_formelles/abschluss_formelles_exmatrikulation.de.html

If you have any questions, please turn to the student service of the HM University of Applied Sciences: https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/im_studium/rund_ums_studium/personen/st-service.de.html

Sources:
https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/career_alumni/alumni/studienabschluss/abschluss_formelles/abschluss_formelles_exmatrikulation.de.html

https://www.hm.edu/studium_1/im_studium/mein_studium/verlauf/rueckmeldung.de.html