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Semester fees, leave of absence and re-registration

In principle, no fees are charged for studying at the University of Vechta (tuition fees). The only thing you have to pay is the semester fees. This is a mandatory contribution which covers certain administrative costs and allows for benefits such as discounts in the dining hall or free use of buses and trains in Lower Saxony. Students who have used up their study credit may also have to pay tuition fees for long-term students (see below).

In the online service you can find your personal semester fees and payments. Follow "Mein Studium > Studienservice", tab "Zahlungen". The role "Student/in" must be activated in the upper right corner after registration. Study certificates you find in tab "Bescheide/Bescheinigungen" and your status in "Mein Status".

The semester fees for the summer semester 2024 at the University of Vechta are EUR 291.03. They are composed as follows:

Composition of the semester fees

EUR 123.03for the Students’ Union Executive Committee (AStA), i.e., the representation of students’ interests
(including EUR 104.97 for the semester ticket)
EUR   93.00for the Osnabrück Student Services
(dining hall meals and advisory services)
EUR   75.00 administrative fees
 
Exchange students (incoming students) are exempt from paying the administrative fees. Therefore, they only pay EUR 216.03.

Semester fees for enrolment, re-registration and termination of registration

If you are enrolling for the first time or wish to continue your studies in the following semester, you have to transfer the semester fees and, if applicable, tuition fees for long-term students in due time.

The semester fees for the winter semester 2023/24 are EUR 291,03. They are composed as follows:

Composition of the semester fees for the winter semester 2023/24

EUR 123.03for the Students’ Union Executive Committee (AStA), i.e., the representation of students’ interests
(including EUR 104.97 for the semester ticket)
EUR   93.00for the Osnabrück Student Services
(dining hall meals and advisory services)
EUR   75.00administrative fees
 
Exchange students (incoming students) are exempt from paying the administrative fees. Therefore, they only pay EUR 216.03.

Recipient: Universität Vechta

IBAN: DE69 2505 0000 0101 4267 08
BIC: NOLADE2HXXX

Bank code: 250 500 00 (Nord-LB Hannover)
Account number: 101 426 708

Reason for payment: Student registration number or application number, surname and first name

Students who wish to continue their studies in the following semester have to transfer the semester fees and, if applicable, tuition fees for long-term students on their own responsibility and in due time.

The following deadlines apply to re-registration, i.e., to transferring the semester fees:

  • Re-registration deadline for the summer semester: 15 January to 15 February each year
  • Re-registration deadline for the winter semester: 15 July to 15 August each year

Those who fail to re-register in due time will not receive payment requests by post. Any correspondence will be sent exclusively via email to the university email address. If the University of Vechta does not receive the payment in due time, termination of registration is prescribed by law.

Re-registration is not required if all examinations have been completed and only the examination results are still pending. Please also note the further information for graduation (in German). 

In the online service you can find your personal semester fees and payments. Follow "Mein Studium > Studienservice", tab "Zahlungen". 
In the online service you will see from mid-January or mid-June, any re-registration blocks for the following semester (e.g. problems about health insurance, conditions, etc.). Please also note that we always need to have your current address. You can easily change your contact details in the online service.

As per Section 19 subsection 6 sentence 4 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG), students who request withdrawal before or within one month after the start of lectures  will be reimbursed for fees and charges already paid*. You can find more information on the web page on Exmatrikulation (termination of registration).

 

*Please note: This translation is for information purposes. Only the German version is legally binding.

Exchange students also have to re-register. They have to transfer the semester fees for the second semester of the stay in due time, but they are exempt from paying the administrative fees.

In exceptional cases, exchange students can re-register for a third semester at the University of Vechta, but they have to submit an application for this which has to be approved.

You can find the application here: Application for extending exchange studies to three semesters (PDF form)

As per Section 11 of the Regulations for Enrolment of the University of Vechta the doctoral candidats have to be enrolled at the university from admission to successful disputation. This means that you must transfer the semester fees half-yearly. A premature exmatriculation will end the supervision.

Please note the electronic payment reminders in your Uni-Mail-Account! Doctoral Students also make sure they receive the personal Login Data and read the information provided to you. Check and empty the mailbox regularly!

Payment Exemptions:

  • Doctoral sholarship as per Section 11 subsection 1 sentence 3 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG): If you receive a doctoral sholarship from public funds, please send us the contract. We will check whether or not you have to pay the administrative fees (75,00 €). The sholarship must last at least two months of the respective semester. The payment exemption is initially valid for two semester. You then have to submit proof that your scholarship has been extended. Send the informal application and attachments within the period of re-registration to immatrikulationsamt.promotion@uni-vechta.de.
  • Cooperation as per Section 11 subsection 2 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG): In Cooperation with another University and parallel enrollment you can apply for a payment exemption (administrative fees or others). Please send the informal application and attachments (certificates of enrollment, detailed receipt of payment of fees and cooperation agreement) within the period of re-registration to immatrikulationsamt.zahlungen@uni-vechta.de.

Leave of absence is possible on request.

The conditions of the Regulations for Enrolment apply; you will find the relevant excerpt in the application for leave of absence in the next item.

Exemption from the semester fees requires a leave of absence. In the case of a complete exemption from fees, the UniCard is not valid as a semester ticket and the services of the Student Services (dining hall) cannot be used. Students can request a leave of absence until the end of the re-registration period; in justified exceptional cases even after this date, if an important reason is proven.

If you wish to request a leave of absence for caring for your child who has not yet reached the age of 14 at the beginning of the semester in question, please note that in this case, you can make use of the exemption from tuition fees for long-term students as an alternative (Section 13 NHG).

If you are also employed at a company there are specific factors regarding student leave of absence. Therefore, please ask your employer BEFORE submitting an application for leave of absence.

Further detailed information can be found in the: Antrag auf Beurlaubung_ENGLISCH - REQUEST FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE (pdf).

Study credit and tuition fees for long-term students

Students in Lower Saxony receive a study credit. This is not a monetary amount, but a certain number of semesters in the amount of the standard period of study of the chosen undergraduate degree programme (usually Bachelor’s) plus six additional semesters (Section 12 NHG).

The study credit is reduced by the number of semesters previously studied at German higher education institutions. In the case of a subsequent Master’s degree programme, it is increased by the standard period of study of the Master’s degree programme.

As soon as students have used up the study credit, the university has to charge them tuition fees for long-term students and pay them to the state. The tuition fees for long-term students are currently EUR 500.00 per semester. Students who have reached the age of 60 are charged tuition fees of EUR 800.00 per semester in addition to the semester fees.

The study credit will not be used up in semesters in which students

  1. are on leave of absence,
  2. care for at least one child who has not yet reached the age of 14 at the beginning of the semester in question,
  3. care for a close relative in need of care according to German care legislation
  4. are active as an elected representative in a university body, the student body or the Student Services (credit for a maximum of two semesters) or
  5. hold the office of the Equal Opportunities Officer (credit for a maximum of two semesters).

These exceptions are not automatically taken into account, except for the leave of absence, during which no study credit is used up.

To make use of points 2.-5., please submit an informal request for adjustment of the study credit. A short note with signature is sufficient. This has implications for the calculation of tuition fees for long-term students. The request can be made retroactively only once. Please submit it regularly each semester from then on.

The study credit is not automatically corrected by means of a request for exemption from paying tuition fees for long-term students.

The tuition fees for long-term students are also not charged in case of used-up study credit for a semester in which students

  1. are on leave of absence,
  2. care for a child who has not yet reached the age of 14 at the beginning of the semester in question,
  3. care for a close relative in need of care according to German care legislation
  4. complete a period of studies abroad in accordance with in the Programme Regulations or Examination Regulations or
  5. complete a practical study semester in accordance with the Programme Regulations or Examination Regulations.

Exemption from payment

Under certain circumstances, students can be exempted from the obligation to pay tuition fees for long-term students. For more information, please refer to the respective request form.

Please submit the request by the end of the respective re-registration period.

Please submit a request for adjustment of the study credit so that it can be recalculated retroactively.

Antrag auf Zahlungsbefreiung von den Langzeitstudiengebühren (PDF) (in German) (request for exemption from paying tuition fees for long-term students)

Befreiung von der Zahlung der Langzeitstudiengebühren aufgrund einer unbilligen Härte (PDF)  (in German) (exemption from paying tuition fees for long-term students due to undue hardship)

Please also read the Informationen zur Antragstellung nach § 14 Abs. 2 Satz 1 NHG auf Erlass der Langzeitstudiengebühren gem. § 13 Abs. 1 des Niedersächsischen Hochschulgesetzes (NHG) aufgrund der Covid-19-Pandemie.  (in German) (information on requesting, as per Section 14 subsection 2 sentence 1 NHG, exemption from paying tuition fees for long-term students as per Section 13 subsection 1 NHG due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

Please use the request for exemption from paying tuition fees for long-term students due to undue hardship.

The Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG) was amended on 10 December 2020 with Article 11 of the Haushaltsbegleitgesetz 2021 (HBeglG 2021) (Budget Accompanying Act 2021) and on 16 March 2021 with Article 4 HBeglG 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following regulation applies as per Section 72 subsection 14 NHG*:

1For students who were enrolled for one semester in the period from summer semester 2020 to summer semester 2021, an individual standard period of study extended by one semester shall apply.

2For students who were enrolled for at least two semesters in the period according to sentence 1, an individual standard period of study extended by two semesters shall apply.

3Semesters in which students were on leave of absence are not to be taken into account for the extension of the individual standard period of study in accordance with sentences 1 and 2.
(Section 72 subsection 14 sentence 1-3 NHG)6The extension of the individual standard period of study only increases the study credit as per Section 12 if the study credit has not already been used up before or at the end of the summer semester 2019.

9The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) shall be authorised to implement further extensions of the individual standard period of study by decree and to adjust the reference period according to sentence 1 in case studies and teaching will only be possible to a limited extent or not possible at all for at least a predominant part of a semester or trimester.


For students who became liable to pay tuition fees for long-term students for the first time in the summer semester 2020, the winter semester 2020/2021, the summer semester 2021 or the winter semester 2021/2022, this affects the start of the payment obligation. We are currently implementing the decision of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture concerning the winter semester 2021/2022 in terms of organisation and in the electronic student administration and will then contact the students affected. Please be patient and refrain from inquiries until then.

 

*Please note: This translation is for information purposes. Only the German version is legally binding.