The Burden of Free Tuition in Germany

The Burden of Free Tuition in Germany

The higher education system in Germany has currently been one of the most influential systems across the globe, and it is one of the leaders in its quality of University education and research field. Since Germany is active in most world organizations and the European Union, it is often used as an example for other countries to reference to. One of the more often researched areas within the German higher system; is its free tuition policy for public universities. As much as the German higher education system might be glorified, like many other higher education systems across the globe, it has its flaws. Free tuition is instead placing more burdens on the institutions and on the economy as well.  It is the driving factor that is effecting: elongated program completion rates, tax increases to labors, and it is reproducing the countries social inequalities instead of helping it. The German higher education system is the perfect example of how free tuition comes with a greater price and might instead be disastrous.  

Institution Types and Access

Most higher education systems around the world, Germany has undergone many reforms within higher education. One notable reform to begin with is in 1990 when The Unification Contract was signed. In this reform, Eastern Germany adapted its economic, social, and political context from the Western Germany systems. Ultimately, Eastern Germany adopted the Western Germany binary public higher education system that is in place today. Before students enter into higher education, they must pass the completion exam named the Abitur. Once completing the Abitur, students can enter upon four tracks. Two of them being enrolling in either universities or universities of applied sciences.  The universities of applied science is different from the traditional university as it is highly focused on specific and practical.  Universities of applied science were created to adapt to the needs of the labor market and the need to train narrow specialist in the industry (Belov & Govorova, 2016). The other two options are taking up vocational training in a non-tertiary institution, or entering into workforce right away (Mayer et al., 2007). 

As the public institutions are tuition free, many may argue that access to the higher education can be acquired to everyone; especially to low income families. Many would argue that if low-income families have the opportunities to get degrees then it should be helping the social inequalities. According to Mayer et al. (2007), the choices the students and families make are strongly related to costs and risks involved with the educational track choices. Working class families are more likely to choose the less costly and less risky educational track. According to Belov & Govorova (2016), many applicants choose to study at universities of applied science, because they are more focused on practice” (p 29).  Even with free tuition it seems as if the social inequalities are only sustaining themselves because, working class families are sending their children in the vocational track to get into the workforce faster and have a more reliable work preparedness; while the elite families invest in sending their students onto the universities.

Funding

There is a lot of contest to making universities charge tuition because Germans consider Higher education a fundamental right (Heller & Rogers, 2006). Tuition in Germany has been predominantly tuition free for the past few years. In 2006, German universities were allowed to charge tuition which struct major political backlash and numerous student protests. In 2014, “...tuition was once again being eliminated at the public universities that educate the vast majority of German students. Except for small administrative fees... about $341, most of it for a public transit pass” (Marcus, 2016). Being tuition free, the institutions are funded by the state and in 2016, the cost to taxpayers of subsidizing higher education went up 37% (Marcus, 2016).

Engagement

Germany is an active and longtime member of the European Union, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). UNESCO and OECD are pro-neoliberal in their ideas in having a “world culture” in which education should be accessible, standardized, and measurable around the world. This is why Germany is in conjunction with most of how education is handled in Europe. This is especially true since the 1999 Bologna Declaration; in which members in the European Union could ensure comparability in the standards and qualifications of universities. Due to these unions, agreements, and tuition free policies, Germany encounters a high volume of international students studying abroad making seats for the locals more difficult to achieve.

Tuition Free Policy Flaws and Recommendations

Tuition free higher education in Germany may look like more access to everyone; however, it is bringing in more headaches to institutions and the country then it is beneficial. One of the more common problems with free tuition is the elongated program completions. According to Price (2016), “European studies have found that students who pay more in tuition exert greater effort and are more likely to graduate on time...Germany also found that free tuition led students to extend their time in college.” This is especially true when it comes to lower-income families. Low-income students tend to work part time; therefore, it takes them longer to graduate (Heller & Rogers, 2006).  Lower income families are also choosing the more practical educational tracks do to its faster track into the workforce and quicker access to instant income rather than the wealthier families who can afford their students to take the longer university track.  Making tuition free has also not made a drastic change in the demographics attending higher education (Marcus, 2016).

These are only just a few prevalent issues as a result of free tuition policies happening not only in Germany as well as in other countries with free tuition policies. As a recommendation to tackle graduation rates, access, and social inequalities, I would suggest UNESCO or OECD do a teamwork collaboration with its members to create an accelerated degree program for all. Members can all contribute or receive funding to create an accelerated program offered in every country. The accelerated program will be standardized in every country and it will be an intense three-year program of study that will still be tuition free; however, the living expensive will be covered. The program will initially select a few individuals in each country with low income with good academic merit. This will encourage faster graduation rates for low-income families, which then may result in a greater change in social inequality in the end.

Reference

Belov, V., & Govorova, N. (2016). Role of the universities in contemporary higher education –

the German experience. SHS Web of Conferences, 29, 02005.

Forest, J. F. & Altbach, P. G. (2006) (Eds.). International Handbook of Higher Education,
            Volume 18. Dordrecht: Springer.

Heller, D. E., & Rogers, K. R. (2006). Shifting the burden: Public and private financing of higher

education in the United States and implications for Europe. Tertiary Education & Management, 12(2), 91-117.

Marcus, J. (2016). Germany proves tuition-free college is not a silver bullet for America's

education woes. Quartz, Oct 18, 2016.

Mayer, K. U., Müller, W., & Pollak, R. (2007). Germany: Institutional change and inequalities of

access in higher education. Stratification in higher education: A comparative study, 240-65.

Price, T. (2016, November 18). Student debt. CQ researcher, 26, 965-988. Retrieved from

http://library.cqpress.com/