Tuition and course fees

Whether and what level of fees are payable for each semester depends on your nationality, the university you are studying at, and how long you have already been studying. There are differences depending on which higher education sector you are studying in.

We provide a general overview of tuition fees which students have to pay, broken down according to public universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges of teacher education and private universities.

1. Tuition fees at public universities and university colleges of teacher education

At public universities (except for Danube University Krems) and at university colleges of teacher education, tuition fees of 363.36 euros per semester are payable if the planned period of study as stated in the curriculum is exceeded by more than two semesters (tolerance period).
This applies to:

Degree programme students who are EU nationals (European Union) – or EEA nationals (European Economic Area)
Degree programme students to whom Austria must grant the same rights of entry to professional careers as Austrian citizens on the basis of an international agreement
Degree programme students who come under the Decree of the Federal Minister on Groups of Persons, and
Degree programme students from third countries who do not have the right of residence for students under the Settlement and Residence Act

Other degree programme students from third countries who do have the right of residence for students under the Settlement and Residence Act will in principle be liable to pay tuition fees of 726.72 euros per semester.
Non-degree students, who are only permitted to attend individual courses, will be liable to pay tuition fees of 363.36 euros per semester, whatever their nationality.
Students enrolled on multiple courses or at multiple universities or university colleges of teacher education will only be liable to pay the tuition fees once.
Tuition fees are payable in advance.

2. Tuition fees at universities of applied sciences

For universities of applied sciences the provider may charge all their students tuition fees, at their discretion, up to a maximum of 363.36 euros per semester. Providers may also set the general conditions for this. Please note the following restrictions:

Students from third countries who are not included in the groups of persons mentioned by the competent Minister, and who have been granted a residence permit as students in accordance with Section 64 of the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG), Federal Gazette. I No. 100/2005, may be charged fees to a maximum of the level required to cover costs.
This applies even where students from third countries do not have any close relationship with Austria (examples of this might be: people in the diplomatic corps, people with their main residence in Austria for over five years, or foreign journalists) but have been granted a residence permit as students.

3. Course fees

Participants in university non-degree courses must pay course fees and need not pay tuition fees. The Rectorate will establish these, taking into account the actual cost of that university non-degree course.

4. Tuition fees at private universities

There is no restriction on the tuition fees charged at private universities. Information about the actual tuition fees can only be obtained directly from the private university itself.

5. Waiver and refund of the tuition fees

The tuition fees will be waived for degree programme students:

For semesters in which they can prove they are studying or on work placement in the context of transnational EU, government or university mobility programmes,
For semesters in which they are studying abroad due to compulsory provisions in their course,
Where the last post-secondary educational institution they attended abroad has a partnership agreement with the Austrian university which makes provision for each side waiving tuition fees reciprocally,
If they are a citizen of a country listed in the Order on Tuition Fees (based on the Least Developed Countries in the DAC List of ODA Recipients compiled by the OECD Development Assistance Committee),
Also – in cases where they have exceeded the planned period of study plus the tolerance period – for semesters for which they can prove they were unable to study for more than two months due to illness or pregnancy, or due to childcare responsibilities for children under the age of 7 or who started school later, or due to other equivalent care responsibilities,
Also – in cases where they have exceeded the planned period of study plus the tolerance period – where it can be established according to federal legislative provisions that they have a disability of at least 50 percent,
If in the previous semester they have received a study grant in accordance with the Student Support Act 1992 or are receiving one in the current semester.

The Rectorate will decide on applying waivers and refunds of tuition fees. Any appeals against these decisions must be raised with the Federal Administrative Court.
Where students have had their tuition fees waived due to culpably incomplete or untrue statements of important facts or by devious means, they must refund twice the amount of the tuition fees.
Students who have been granted leave of absence need not pay any tuition fees.

6. Legal basis

a. Public universities

b. Universities of applied sciences

C. University colleges of teacher education:

The legal position is the same as at universities, by reference to Sections 69 (et seq.) of the Teacher Education Act (HG).The latest version of these legal provisions can be found on the Federal Government legal information system, RIS (some translations also available)