Before your arrival

If you want to study in Germany, you need health insurance – without this you cannot enrol at a German university. Many students can use their health insurance from their home country. Germany has concluded social security agreements with a number of countries, including the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area. This means that anyone who has statutory health insurance in their home country can register this insurance cover with a statutory health insurance fund in Germany. You can find out the best way to do this from your local health insurance company. As a rule, you will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Private health insurance policies from other countries are sometimes also accepted in Germany. Your local insurer will be able to give you more information. In this case, you will need a certificate of enrollment at the university. If you start your studies in Germany with private insurance, you will not be allowed to switch to statutory health insurance for the entire duration of your studies. If you do not have access to your local health insurance, you must be insured in Germany. Statutory health insurance companies in Germany are obliged to offer students up to the age of 30 or the end of the 14th semester discounted student rates for their insurance cover. You can take out insurance with any statutory health insurance provider in Germany. These generally charge a standard contribution for student health and long-term care insurance. The membership fee is currently EUR 90 per month. The health insurance company will issue you with a certificate of existing insurance cover, which you must present when you enrol. If you are over 30 years old or have studied in Germany for more than 14 semesters during your studies, you can keep your statutory insurance, but at a higher rate. If you are over 29 years old at the start of your studies, you can only take out private insurance.

Secure funding is very important for the success of your studies. International students who complete all (or part of) their studies in Germany have to take various costs into account. To get a better overview, you can distinguish between education costs and living costs.

Expenditure on education

These include tuition fees and semester fees:

• Tuition fees
  Tuition fees vary from course to course. You can find more information on the website of your chosen degree program.
• Semester fees
  The semester fee is generally payable at all universities and for all students in Germany. It has nothing to do with tuition fees. The semester fee (currently 130.53 euros) at Coburg University of Applied Sciences is made up of the student union fee (72.00 euros) and the fees for the semester ticket for local public transport (58.53 euros). The semester fee must be paid each semester before enrolment or re-registration.

Cost of living

The cost of living in Germany is slightly above the European average. They are below those of countries such as Denmark, Luxembourg or Switzerland, but are quite high compared to countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America. The cost of living includes

• Health services and insurance (if required) EUR 110
• Books and material: 50 EUR
• Accommodation and meals: 300 EUR
• Personal expenses (food, clothing, travel, credit fees, etc.): 280 EUR

Total: EUR 740 per month

Price overview

• 1 loaf of bread: 1,20 – 3 EUR
• 1 kilo of apples: EUR 3
• 1 kilo of potatoes: 1 EUR
• 1 liter of milk: 0,60 EUR – 1 EUR
• 1 bottle of mineral water (0.75 liter): EUR 0.30 – 0.80
• 1 cup of coffee (in a café): EUR 3.00
• 1 beer (in a pub): EUR 3 – 4
• 1 pizza in a restaurant: EUR 8 – 10
• 1 pair of shoes: 30 – 100 EUR
• 1 T-shirt: 10 – 50 EUR
• 1 pair of pants: 30 – 100 EUR
• 1 movie ticket (student discount): EUR 6 – 8
• 1 theater ticket (student discount): 10 – 30 EUR
• 1 admission ticket for a museum (discount for students): 2 – 8 EUR

The student may incur additional costs that are not included in the total budget. These include: medical costs that are not covered by insurance, excursions, the purchase of a computer and software, etc. International students must set up a blocked account to prove that they have sufficient funds for their stay in Germany (853 EUR per month).

Coburg University of Applied Sciences sends out information about scholarships to its international students. Please note that applications for these opportunities are only possible from the second semester onwards at Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

The International Office supports students in their search for accommodation. Some students are offered an apartment in our student residences, which have over 500 individual apartments with kitchen, bathroom/WC and modern facilities. The apartments must be rented for at least six months (September-February and March-August). The rent is between 170 EUR and 220 EUR per month for the halls of residence and up to around 300 EUR for private rooms.

Desmond Ahia from Ghana has been studying at Coburg University of Applied Sciences for almost two years. How did he find an apartment as an international student?