University fees 

• The following rules apply to students on all courses
• University fees
• Fee waivers and reimbursing fees
• Legal basis

The following rules apply to students on all courses

Following amendments to the UG (Universities Act of 2002), the following provisions have applied in relation to university fees:

Officially enrolled students with EU or EEA citizenship, officially enrolled students who enjoy the same rights to engage in professional activities in Austria as Austrian citizens under international treaties, officially enrolled students who fall into the categories of individuals set out in the Personengruppenverordnung (Categories Ordinance) and officially enrolled students from third countries who have leave to remain in Austria on the basis of something other than their studies in accordance with Section 64 of the NAG (Settlement and Residence Act) must pay university fees of 363.36 Euro per semester if they exceed the time allowed to complete a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD course by more than two semesters or if they exceed the deadline to complete part of a degree course by more than two semesters.

If the fee is paid beyond the deadline but within a subsequent grace period, the fee payable will increase by 10 percent. Students who are not officially enrolled for degree programmes and are only admitted to individual lectures in specific subjects must also pay university fees of 363.36 Euro each semester, regardless of nationality.

All other officially enrolled students from third countries with leave to remain in Austria as students in accordance with Section 64 NAG must pay fees of 726.72 Euro per semester. 

Students who have been admitted to multiple programmes of studies across one or more universities only need to pay fees once for each semester.

University fees 

University fees (Studienbeiträge) must be paid in advance for each semester. In order to ensure that university fees are duly collected, Bundesrechenzentrum GmbH has been instructed to maintain a joint universities database. The database includes various data on individual students, which are collected in order to ensure that university fees are collected as appropriate. The data include:

• their matriculation number;
• their name, including any academic titles, and their gender;
• their nationality;
• their fee status;
• their term-time and home addresses.

University fee payments are retained by the university concerned. Fees paid by students enrolled in a joint programme of study run by multiple universities, or who have been admitted to various different programmes of study run by multiple universities or teacher training colleges, must be split between the universities and/or training colleges concerned.

For university courses, students must also pay a course fee. This fee is set by the rectorate of the university concerned on the basis of the actual cost of delivering the course. Officially enrolled students in receipt of student support can apply to have their course fee reduced on the basis of their academic performance/potential. Students who are not officially enrolled and have been admitted solely to study a single university course must pay the course fee, but are exempt from the university fee. Course and university fees do not apply to preparatory courses.

Fee waivers and reimbursing fees

University fees will be waived for officially enrolled students in a number of circumstances, specifically:

• for semesters in the course of which the student can demonstrate that they will be undertaking a programme of study or practical work as part of a transnational EU, state, or university-funded mobility programme;
• for semesters in which they will be studying outside Austria in order to fulfil the requirements of their course;
• if the last university where they studied abroad has a partnership agreement with their Austrian university and/or with other Austrian universities under which university fees are waived (for example, if the student is a national of a 'least developed country' as defined by the OECD);
• If the student fulfils the requirements set out in Section 91 paragraph 1 of the UG, even if they exceed the deadline for a semester (as defined in Section 91 paragraph 1), provided they can demonstrate that they were prevented from studying for a period of at least two months as a result of illness or pregnancy, childcare responsibilities in relation to children under the age of seven (or children older than seven who had not yet started school) or that they have otherwise been prevented from studying by similar care responsibilities.
• If the student fulfils the requirements set out in Section 91 paragraph 1 UG, even if they exceed the deadline set out in Section 91 paragraph 1, if they are recognised as having a degree of disability of at least 50 percent, as defined by Austrian Federal law.
• if they are currently in receipt of financial support under the Studienförderungsgesetz 1992 (Student Support Act), Federal Law Gazette. no. 305/1992, or received this support during the previous semester.

The rectorate is responsible for deciding whether to waive the university fee .

Applications for such waivers must be supported by the required evidence. The university's decision must be appropriately documented.

Students whose university fees are waived under Section 92 paragraph 1 (1) and (2) UG, and who do not actually undertake any studies or practical work outside Austria during the semester as set out in the criteria, will have to pay the fee retrospectively. The rectorate of the university concerned must issue the student with a notice to this effect before it can collect the payment.

Where students succeed in obtaining a waiver by knowingly providing incomplete or false information, they will have to pay double the university fee, and may be liable to criminal prosecution. The rectorate of the university concerned must issue the student with a notice to this effect before it can collect the payment.

Students on leave of absence are not required to pay the university fee.

Decisions by university rectorates can be appealed to the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court).

The Federal Minister of Education has the power to amend the list of countries whose nationals are exempted from university fees on the basis of Austria's priorities with regard to measures to promote and support economic and social development.

Legal basis

Sections 91, 92 and 56 of the Universitätsgesetz 2002 (UG 2002)