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FLASHBACK: German Universities Face Funding Fears As States Scrap Fees
The German university fee system is on the brink of collapse after another state confirmed it would abolish charges for students following a change in local government.
The city of Hamburg – a state in its own right – will follow the lead of several other states that have scrapped fees since last month's elections saw Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats ousted by the centre-left Social Democrats.
A spokesman for the Social Democrats said: "Tuition fees keep young people from low-income families from studying and are socially disruptive."
North Rhine-Westphalia announced it would scrap fees earlier this month, and once Hamburg follows suit only three of Germany's federal states – Baden-Wüttemberg, Bavaria and Lower Saxony – will continue to charge.
Universities in England are poised to raise their fees to as much as £9,000 a year after a controversial vote was pushed through the Commons last year.
German universities fear the U-turn over fees will leave them facing dramatic shortfalls in funding.
Dr Holger Fischer, vice-president of Hamburg University, said: "It is a catastrophe for the university." He added: "We were obliged to spend the fees we received on investment in teaching, and it gave us the chance to improve the teaching and infrastructure."
Read the full story: www.theguardian.com
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