Special rules

The following exceptions and special rules apply to:

  • all full-time students who are nationals of an EU/EEA country and 

  • full-time students from other countries who are treated as equivalent to EU/EEA citizens

  • Applicants who submit supporting documents from abroad must provide certificates issued by authorities comparable to the Austrian authorities mentioned.
  • Please note: Documents not submitted in German or English must be translated by a court-sworn interpreter. In this case, both a copy of the original document and the translation must be submitted.

The authenticity of the documents submitted in copy form will be checked on a random basis! Please note that, in accordance with Section 92(6) of the University Act 2002, if students have culpably caused or fraudulently obtained the waiver of tuition fees by providing incomplete or false information regarding relevant facts, they shall be required to pay double the tuition fees, without prejudice to criminal liability.

Tuition fees are waived for students for the duration of their studies, with no restriction on the period of exemption, provided that a disability of at least 50% has been recognised in accordance with federal legislation. For administrative reasons, an application for a refund can only be submitted after the minimum period of study plus a grace semester (should an application for exemption not have been submitted within the deadline for the exemption of tuition fees).

Proof:

  • Disability card issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs

Where a child is in full-time care until their 7th birthday or, if applicable, until they start school at a later date, the tuition fee will be waived for the duration of this full-time care.

Proof:

  • Child’s birth certificate,
  • student registration form,
  • the child’s registration form (the child’s address must match that of the student),
  • a statutory declaration by the student stating that they are the primary carer for the child.

In cases where a student is providing the primary care for, for example, close relatives, the tuition fees will be waived for the duration of this care.

Evidence:

  • appropriate evidence demonstrating primary care, such as a disability card for the person requiring care, medical certificates,
  • registration forms for the applicant and the person requiring care, etc., 
  • as well as a statutory declaration that the person requiring care is being cared for by the applicant.

Students who can provide evidence that they have completed study or work placements as part of mobility programmes will be exempt from paying tuition fees. If students have spent time abroad as part of a mobility programme in previous semesters, the period of exemption from fees will be extended by the number of semesters spent abroad under the mobility programme.

As soon as you become liable for tuition fees and have already spent time abroad in a previous semester, you must submit an application for a refund. The system does not process automatic refunds.

You can obtain detailed information on this by emailing studienbeitrag(at)uni-graz.at 

If a student is unable to study for more than two months during a semester for which tuition fees are payable, due to pregnancy or illness, the tuition fees for that semester will be waived. This must be a continuous period of more than two months during the semester in question.

Note: In the case of illness, only the period during which you are unable to study is relevant. It is not necessary to specify or provide details of the nature of the illness (diagnoses, medical reports, etc.). This is not relevant to the assessment of the application. 

Proof:  

Students may be exempted from paying tuition fees if they received a student grant in the previous semester under the Student Finance Act 1996 (BGBI. No. 305/1992) or are receiving one in the current semester.

Proof:

  • Notice of student grant

From the 2023 summer semester onwards, doctoral students who are employed by the University under a contract specifically aimed at completing their doctoral studies will be eligible for exemption from tuition fees or may apply for a refund.

A separate application must be submitted for each semester. Before applying, you must obtain confirmation from your supervisor and the Human Resources department. See the form. You may only submit an application once all signatures have been obtained.

Please note: A refund of tuition fees is always possible by 30 September at the latest for a summer semester and by 28/29 February at the latest for a winter semester. 

Applications must be submitted directly via Uni Graz Online under ‘Online Applications – Student Affairs Office’. 

It is not possible to submit an application for a period prior to the 2023 summer semester.

  • Students who complete their studies before the end of the enrolment period (31 October for the winter semester or 31 March for the summer semester) or who deregister from the university before the end of the enrolment period 1) 
  • First-time students who withdraw from the university before the end of the enrolment period without having taken any examinations 1)
  • Students who are undertaking study or work placements abroad as part of mobility programmes and have already paid the tuition fee 2)
  • Students who are on leave of absence for the semester in question and have already paid the tuition fee 1) 
  • Students who have paid the semester fee twice to the University of Graz, paid an incorrect amount, etc.
  • Students who have completed a study module before the end of the enrolment period for the semester in question and have not enrolled in any further fee-paying courses

1) There must be no further outstanding studies at the University of Graz or at any other university in Austria, and the minimum period of study must not have been exceeded.

2) Information on mobility programmes is available from the Office for International Relations