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StudierendenGesellschaft Witten/Herdecke
Sketched on a paper napkin by students of Witten/Herdecke University in 1995, the idea of an inverse contract between student generations (UGV – umgekehrter Generationenvertrag) proved to be an innovative payment concept for tuition fees, viable for now over 15 years, and also was the origin of StudierendenGesellschaft Witten/Herdecke e.V.
This concept promotes equal opportunities in education. The UGV contract offers payment modes that enable students to finance their studies independent from parents’ income or social background. The idea is: study today and pay tomorrow. Students may opt for payment of tuition fees after graduation as soon as they earn money. In this way UW/H graduates pay tuition fees for currently enrolled students – an inverse contract between student generations. The concept is unique in Germany and ensures that nobody is excluded from studies at UW/H for lack of funds.
It is the proclaimed joint objective of StudierendenGesellschaft e.V. and the university to maintain and promote curricular freedom and quality of education at Witten/Herdecke University. The inverse contract between student generations supports three essential principles:
- free access to higher education; selection is based on an applicant’s personality, special interests and motivation, not on financial background;
- independent study organization; financial constraints must not be permitted
to affect freedom and personal responsibility in study organization or duration of studies. So students are able to pursue individual interests and inclinations, which will ultimately serve personal growth. - free choice of professional career; graduates should not be influenced in their choice of a position by a load of debts to be repaid.
Tuition payments may thus be seen as students’ investment into their own and the university’s future. In the general debate on university tuition fees, the Stifterverband (a German industry initiative promoting science and learning) also supported the idea of payment after graduation and praised the UW/H concept. General Secretary Prof. Dr. Andreas Schlüter: “ Payment after graduation is an excellent alternative, either as later repayment of tuition fees or as a special tax for university graduates. Graduates pay for their university education at a time when they start profiting – and if they don’t, if their income is too low, they do not pay either. This is only fair.”
Students who opt for the UGV pay a previously defined percentage of their income after graduation for an agreed number of years. Schlüter: “Witten/Herdecke University has designed a model concept which does not exclude anyone from higher education. A concept that should be discussed for universities all over Germany.” Gero Niggemeier (StudierendenGesellschaft) describes the advantages in more detail: “The inverse contract ensures that nobody will be overcharged. People with high incomes repay more than those with lower incomes. Everybody is free to e.g. become active in development aid after graduation, or take a family leave of absence – if you have no income you do not pay.”
Another special feature in Witten is that StudierendenGesellschaft is managed by UW/H students. The association is in charge of money transactions and goes on refining the payment concept to avoid social selection. Niggemeier: “Our model has proven successful over 15 years and basically is transferable to other universities. We shall be pleased to provide advice on the basis of our experience.”
StudierendenGesellschaft has held one of the twelve seats on the board of directors, the former governing body of Witten/Herdecke University, since 2001. After restructuring in 2009, StudierendenGesellschaft is represented as a partner in the new governing body, the general meeting, and as such is involved in strategic decision-making. No other university has this degree of student participation.
Contact:studges@uni-wh.de