Financing your Studies

The good news is that there are no tuition fees for first degree programmes (Bachelor) at HTWK Leipzig. The same applies for most Master’s degree programmes. Only the following Master programmes do charge a fee: Museum Education and Cross Media Management.

But still, managing your finances as a student is never easy. Especially when you're studying in another country, organising your finances can seem a daunting task. The finance section is designed to give a rough idea of what to expect in terms of overall costs during your studies at HTWK Leipzig.

Semester Fee

All HTWK Leipzig students are required to pay the following fees at the beginning of each semester to cover for Studentenwerk (student services, residences and cafeteria), public transportation and student organizations.

For the winter semester 2017/2018, the fee amounts to 205.60 Euro, containing:

  • 75.00 Euro for Studentenwerk (student services)
  • 8.10 Euro for Studierendenrat (student council and student representatives)
  • 121.00 Euro for „Semesterticket" (public transportation, allows for free transport in Leipzig and MDV area)
  • 1.50 Euro for Mobilitätsfonds (services for cyclists)

Every student enrolled at HTWK Leipzig has to transfer the semester fee for each semester to the following account:

Empfänger: Hauptkasse Sachsen, Chemnitz
IBAN: DE22 8600 0000 0086 0015 22
BIC: MARKDEF1860
Betrag: 205.60 Euro
Verwendungszweck: 443300[Matrikelnummer] [your name]

Health Insurance

As an international student in Germany, you are required to have sufficient health insurance coverage. At HTWK Leipzig, this means you will have to take out a health insurance in Germany and present proof of your coverage before you are allowed to enroll at HTWK Leipzig.

The requirement to take out a health insurance in Germany may only be waived if your home country insurance is also valid in Germany and is recognised as sufficient here. This applies, first and foremost, to the countries of the European Union. If you are from one of these countries, you will have to present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or forms E128/E111 from your home insurance provider to a German provider (for example AOK, a major German public health insurance provider) for approval.

If this exception does not apply to you, you are required to take out health insurance in Germany - which involves additional costs to consider. In Germany, there are two types of health insurance: public health insurance and private health insurance. As a student, you are eligible for public health insurance at the lowest monthly rates, which are typically around 90.00 Euro per month, regardless of which provider you choose.

Estimated Costs of Living

Compared to other European countries, the cost of living in Germany is quite reasonable. The prices for food, accommodation, clothing, leisure activities, cultural events, etc. are generally equivalent to the EU average. Compared with other popular study destinations such as France, Britain and the Netherlands, prices are actually quite low. Moreover, Leipzig is widely known for being particularly affordable if you’re on a student budget.

Furthermore, all HTWK Leipzig students can take advantage of the so-called 'semester ticket', which allows them to use buses, trams and local trains in and around Leipzig. The semester ticket is a mandatory part of the semester fees collected at the beginning of each semester.

  • Housing (student residences): approx. 250.00 Euro per month, plus an additional 300.00 Euro refundable security deposit
  • Living Expenses (other): approx. 350.00 Euro per month
  • Health Insurance: approx. 90.00 Euro per month (non-EU students only)

Long-term Tuition Fees

Since the summer semester 2013, HTWK Leipzig charges a tuition fee for students in Bachelor and Master programmes who exceeded the standard period of study by 4 semesters. A fee of 500 Euro will be charged for every additional semester.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are many opportunities to secure funding for short- and long-term study in Germany. International students can apply for scholarships offered by a variety of organisations and institutions. Unfortunately, however, HTWK Leipzig does not award any scholarships.

International students who wish to study at HTWK Leipzig as visiting or exchange students can apply to a number of organisations for grants and scholarships. Aside from the Erasmus+ programme for European students, the most extensive range of scholarships for German and international students, postgraduates and researchers is offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The DAAD scholarship database is a convenient tool for researching various types of scholarships online. The database not only contains scholarships offered by the DAAD, but a range of other funding organisations as well. For further information, contact the international office staff at your own university or the DAAD regional office or information centre responsible for your country.

As a general rule, funding for a full course of studies from the first to the last semester is not possible with the DAAD or with most other organisations. To qualify for financial support, applicants must first and foremost demonstrate above-average academic ability in their chosen field of study. Personal or social circumstances, in contrast, only play a minor role.