Financial Matters

You can find answers to some basic questions about tuition fees on our general FAQ page:

An exemption from tuition fees due to disability must be submitted in writing and without any formalities to the head of the study program.

Proof of the reason for the exemption must be enclosed with the letter. This can be, for example, a disability certificate from the Federal Social Welfare Office or a notice of increased family allowance. Please note that exemption from tuition fees is only possible for students with a disability degree of 50% or higher.

The application for exemption due to disability only needs to be submitted once for the entire course of study.

An exemption from tuition fees due to an interruption of studies must be submitted to the head of the study program in writing and without formalities immediately after the reason for the interruption becomes known or occurs.

Proof of the reason for the interruption must be attached to the letter. This can be, for example, a medical certificate confirming pregnancy, proof of parental leave, or proof of call-up for military or civilian service.

The request for exemption due to an interruption must be submitted only once, for the entire duration of the interruption (maximum one year).

The tuition fees must be paid immediately upon receipt of the invoice. The final payment deadline for the winter semester is October 31st and for the summer semester, March 31st. 
Failure to receive payment by October 31st or March 31st will result in de-registration from the program. 
If you plan to take an exam between October 1st and 31st or March 1st and 31st, you must transfer your tuition fees no later than five business days before the exam.

In rare exceptional cases, the tuition fee can be reduced by 50%. However, this only applies to third-country nationals who have a close relationship with Austria (e.g., recognized refugees, diplomatic staff, or holders of a Red-White-Red Card). The legal department of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria will check whether you are eligible upon request.

University of applied sciences degree programmes regularly award performance related grants for excellent student achievement from ministerial funds. The call for applications is made in the summer semester.

The portal www.european-funding-guide.eu provides free help to all pupils, students and doctoral candidates in search of support for their studies. For the first time in Austria with the help of a matching system from a database with more than 12,000 entries, only those grants and scholarships for study abroad which match the résuméofeach user are displayed.

The portal includes a wide range of funding opportunities from the financing of the cost of living, financial support for study abroad, help with college tuition fees to support for dissertations. In addition, the platform provides numerous articles and templates on the subject of scholarship applications.

Large companies (Energie AG, voestalpine etc.) and interest groups (Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber etc.) award individual grants for diploma theses and dissertations among other things that are of particular relevance for their areas of interest. Inquiries must be made on an individual basis.

Students on university of applied sciences degree programmes who are not covered by their parents‘ insurance can take out voluntary health insurance with a "Gebietskrankenkasse" (regional health insurance provider).    

Students in bachelor's or master's programs, as well as students in preparatory courses that do not fall into this category, must apply for "student self-insurance" with the relevant regional health insurance fund. The cost of this health insurance is currently €65 per month. 
Under certain conditions, foreign health insurance providers in your home country may cover medical care in the event of illness. Therefore, we recommend contacting your health insurance provider in your home country first to check whether this applies.
If you are a student or researcher in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and hold valid national health insurance in your home country, you must apply for a European Health Insurance Card from your health insurance provider.

Social accident insurance for around 1.3 million pupils and students is provided by the Austrian Social Insurance for Occupational Risks (AUVA). In case of an accident please fill out the form and submit it to the insurance agency.