Education System in Germany
The responsibility for the German education system lies primarily with the states (Länder) while the federal government plays only a minor role.
The system varies throughout Germany because each state (Land) decides its own educational policies. Most children, however, first attend Grundschule from the age of six to ten.
Tuition fees
A great portion of the German universities is public, thus state-funded. In 2012, only two of the 16 states of Germany charged tuition fees up to 500€ per semester at state-funded colleges, while in 14 states tuition was provided free of charge. There are no university-sponsored scholarships in Germany, but a number of private and public institutions award scholarships, usually to cover living costs and books. Moreover, there is a law (
BAföG or
Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz) which ensures that needy people can get up to 650€ per month for 4–5 years if they or their parents cannot afford all the costs involved with studying. Part (typically half) of this money is an interest-free loan which has to be repaid. Many universities planning to introduce tuition fees have announced their intention to use part of the refunded money to create scholarship programmes, although the exact details are mostly vague.
Multi-cultural heritage of Germany is another factor which makes learning conditions effective and favourable for people who believe in understanding and sharing different perceptions on various aspects of learning.
If the trends the world over are anything to go by then specializing in customer-centered cultural change to meet the ever-changing dynamics of today's corporate world should be the most stimulating experience for any genuine professional who likes to raise his own bar to achieve success.
That is where various study programs in Germany's leading colleges and universities have heightened the importance of quality education with very high global acceptance. On a broader perspective, one realizes that Study Abroad Germany is one of the most sought after options for aspiring overseas students for the simple reason that the talent is honed here in the best possible way to suit changing trends of international market.