Studium in Deutschland

The student welfare services (Studentenwerke) are the main point of contact for anyone wanting to know about student life in Germany – and increasingly, that means international students as well.

Let's start with some figures: around 250,000 foreign students are currently enrolled at German universities. In fact, foreign students account for more than 10 percent of overall enrolment, making Germany one of the world's favourite places to study. Just 17 percent of these international students come to Germany on exchange or cooperation programmes; by far the majority of students arrange their stay in Germany themselves.

But arranging to study in Germany is by no means straightforward, not least due to the range and diversity of its universities: Germany has more than 300 universities and over 11,000 courses. But help is at hand: prospective students seeking advice can find an ever-expanding range of useful information on the Internet.

A new website: helping students to get their bearings

In spring 2006, the German Student Welfare Service (DSW) – the umbrella organisation of the 61 individual Studentenwerke in Germany – launched its German- and English-language website (www.internationale-studierende.de) which provides key information about studying in Germany. It answers the most important questions which arise at every stage when preparing to study in Germany and offers students a step-by-step guide on how to plan their studies. It covers everything from funding to the academic criteria which must be fulfilled, the documents required, applying to universities, and finding affordable accommodation. It even guides the student through the various formalities that must be completed on arrival in Germany – registering as a "resident alien", taking out health insurance, and enrolling at university.

The website also explains where to find information and assistance relating to every other aspect of student life in Germany. And for those who have successfully completed their studies, it outlines the options for graduates – such as how to access repatriation assistance or identify opportunities to remain in Germany.

The student welfare services' role

The DSW is the umbrella organisation of the Studentenwerke in Germany – the "strong partners" for students for more than 80 years, whose motto is "… helping your studies succeed!"

Within the German university system, the student welfare services have a very specific role: while the universities are responsible for all issues relating to admission, enrolment and academic support, the Studentenwerke deliver social and welfare services for students. They provide advice on financial, social and legal issues, offer affordable accommodation in student hostels – with 180,000 places available nationwide – and provide sustenance for body and soul at more than 700 refectories and cafeterias across Germany.

Service packages for new arrivals

Over recent years, the Studentenwerke have greatly expanded their services for international students. At some universities, they offer "service packages" containing accommodation, meals and health insurance and in some cases leisure activities, advice and counselling.

"Newcomer services" are designed to help new arrivals get their bearings at local level. Students are met on arrival at the station or airport, guided through the bureaucratic process and advised on an individual basis. In the student hostels, mentors help their fellow students from overseas settle into student life in Germany.

Expanding online services: better guidance for overseas students

But it is not only the DSW itself which has a new website to help students plan their studies in Germany from their home countries. "The Internet is now the most important source of information for students around the world, and it offers the opportunity to meet the specific information needs of overseas students on a targeted basis", says Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, Secretary-General of the DSW, explaining the "Student Services Online" project. Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) from the Programme for the Promotion of Internationalisation Structures at German Universities (PROFIS), the project has enabled individual Studentenwerke to substantially expand their online services.

The Studentenwerke have adopted a variety of approaches to expanding their online services, but all of them consistently emphasise the importance of working with other institutions. Some have created entirely new web pages, while others have translated their existing websites into the major foreign languages – including Russian and Chinese in some cases.

The Studentenwerke's aim is to ensure that as many of the services that they have traditionally provided outside the virtual world are now available online as well. For example, students can apply for or book their accommodation online – after taking a virtual tour to gain an impression of their prospective new home.

The web pages also include check lists, time planners, reports on other students' experiences, virtual maps and forthcoming events. The opportunities for communication afforded by the Internet are utilised to the full with wikis, weblogs and online forums in order to promote dialogue among students. "Anyone who still thinks that the student welfare services are nothing but bureaucratic structures has to think again when they see the Internet content", says Meyer auf der Heyde proudly – and the substantial rise in the number of "hits” shows that the new services are exactly what students need.