Tuition fees are increasing drastically: students in Hesse are under pressure!

Tuition fees are increasing drastically: students in Hesse are under pressure!

There is worrying news for future and current students in Hesse. The student unions in Kassel and Darmstadt have announced a plan to significantly increase contributions for the 2025 summer semester. Specifically, this means that the semester fee in Kassel will rise from 90 euros to 106 euros, while in Darmstadt an increase from 93 euros to 103 euros is imminent.

These increases are a direct result of the inadequate financial support from the state of Hesse. Alexandra Eberhardt, spokesperson for the students in the GEW Hessen and currently enrolled at the University of Marburg, commented on the challenges that students are faced with: "Due to a lack of subsidies from the state, the student unions have to compensate for the additional costs through contributions, canteen prices or, in some cases, higher rental income. This puts a lot of strain on the students." This problem is important nationwide because students not only have to contend with rising tuition fees, but also with expensive housing and cafeteria prices.

Rising costs in higher education

The changes that the student unions in Kassel and Darmstadt are striving for are not just local, but reflect a larger problem. Sascha Wellmann, head of the university and research department at GEW Hessen, points out that the semester fee in Darmstadt two years ago was still 80 euros, which corresponds to an increase of over 20 percent within two years. These price increases have a real impact on the decision-making of students who may choose not to attend college or opt for a cheaper education option.

Rising cafeteria prices are also particularly worrying. In Giessen, the prices for cafeteria meals only increased in August - for the second time in two years. Niklas Beick, another active student spokesman in the GEW Hessen, emphasizes: “The rising costs bring with them further financial burdens.” This shows that the increasing semester fees represent only part of the problem, while the overall burden for students is becoming increasingly heavier.

The fears of trade unionists are not unfounded. It is feared that other student unions in Hesse, which are in a similar financial situation, could also adjust their prices and contributions for the next summer semester. The student representatives are calling for urgent measures from the state government. “The state of Hesse is obliged to provide the student unions with financial resources so that they can fulfill their mission well and in a socially responsible manner,” Eberhardt urgently demands.

The increasing contributions and costs can not only worsen the financial situation of students, but also endanger their quality of life and academic success. Studying should be accessible and affordable for all young people, regardless of financial means. It remains to be seen how the state government will react to this alarming development and whether there will be an improvement in financial support for student unions.

For more information on this topic and an in-depth analysis, see the current report on www.gew-hessen.de.