Introduction
While the cost of college education in the US has reached record highs, Germany has abandoned tuition fees altogether for German and international students alike.
Script
Narrator: In a suburb of New Jersey, Anna Moss is getting her papers in order. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in the US, she decided to do her master’s in Germany and save a lot of money.
Anna Moss: Initially I was kind of thrown off because I saw that there wasn’t any tuition for any of the universities and I thought maybe there’s a catch cuz (because) I’m American and I always think that.
Narrator: Universities are free of charge in Germany for German citizens and for everyone else. Thousands of Americans have heard the call and have enrolled overseas.
University Professor: So what if I make it an infinite sum?
Narrator: Hunter Polis made the move last Fall at first because the 19-year-old from South Carolina had never even been outside the US.
Hunter, Freshman in Munich: I had heard things like I’d be able to drink, I’d have healthcare, I would get education which is great. My main motivation of course was saving money.
Narrator: There’s about 30 or so students sitting inside listening intently to this lecture being held in English. That’s important because if the university president has his wish, within five years every graduate program at this university will not just be offered in English, but in English exclusively.
Hunter’s Mom (on video call): How’s everything going?
Hunter: Uhhhhh…pretty good.
Narrator: In the meantime, Hunter’s mother is glad she can finance his education and living expenses without having to take on any loans.
Hunter: Each month costs about six hundred euro to live here – my room, train tickets, school, gym, food, phone, healthcare.
Narrator: But how long can it last? The president of Hunter’s university says it’s almost inevitable that foreigners will have to pay in the future.
President of Hunter’s university in Munich: If we ignore the question of how to finance an outstanding university in the future, we will not continue having outstanding universities in Germany.
Narrator: But in the capital, Berlin, the top destination for US students, politicians insist that college education should be a right and not a privilege and experts say there’s an economic benefit for Germany too. If 40% of graduates stay in the country for five years, Germany recovers its costs.
German politician: Keeping international students who have studied in the country is the ideal way of immigration because they have certificates which are needed, they don’t have a language problem at the end of their stay and they know the culture. Kathryn is one of those already paying back into the system. After finishing her master’s degree last year she’s still in Berlin living in a hip neighborhood and working for a German startup association.
Kathryn: I still could have gone but, I don’t know, there’s some sort of comfort here. There’s so many young people all thinking and believing that Berlin is this sort of dream world where anything is possible after you graduate.
Narrator: For a country worried about an aging population, not charging young, foreign talent could prove to be a smart, long-term strategy.
Fran Strasser BBC news Germany
Quiz
1. Initially I was kind of ________ because I saw that there wasn't any tuition for any of the universities Discussion
- Are you familiar with the tuition system for higher education (college & university programs) in the United States?
- What are some of the ways in which the European system of higher education generally differs from that of the US?
- What are some of the benefits of European universities attracting foreign students from around the world, many of whom may choose to stay in Europe for some time after they graduate?