FAQ for TUHH students

FAQs about examinations can be found here.

Topics:

  • Re-registration / sabbatical semester / change of course of study (1 - 10)
  • Semester documents (11 - 19)
  • Insurances and BAföG (20 - 27)
  • Something else you should know (31 - 36)
  • Tuition fees

Re-registration / sabbatical semester / change of course of study



1. How do I register for my next semester?
Register means re-register. You must re-register every semester if you want to continue your studies at the TUHH. At the TUHH, re-registering for the next semester simply involves paying all due contributions and fees. You can find more information about this on our website.

2. When must I do the re-registration?
Re-registration for the summer semester must be completed by March 15 and for the winter semester by September 15 each year. The contributions and fees payable must have been credited to the TUHH account by that day.

3. What happens if I forget to pay on time?
First: Make up for the payment. And note: After the deadline has passed, re-registration incurs a fee of €30 in accordance with the scale of charges for universities (Gebührenordnung für das Hochschulwesen). You can find the bank account details here. And: In accordance with the Hamburg Higher Education Act, non-payment will lead to removal from the university register.

4. Do I have to pay the semester contribution?
Yes, every student is obliged to pay the semester contribution. There are no arrangements for exceptions.

5. Into which account must I pay the semester contribution and fees and how much do they cost?
You can find the account details and the semester contribution payable on our website. In your own interest, please take care always to state the correct purpose of payment (Verwendungszweck) when remitting money. Monies are allocated automatically to the matriculation number stated under purpose of payment and the corresponding code.

6. What must I do if I am unable to study during the coming semester?
There is the possibility to take a sabbatical semester. You may take one leave semester during the Bachelor’s program and one during the Master’s program. Diploma students have a total of 2 leave semesters at their disposal. You must apply for leave on the appropriate application form, which you can download from our website and submit it to the Registrar’s Office by the end of the re-registration period.

7. What do I need to consider during a leave semester?
While on leave of absence you remain a student of the TUHH, i. e. you will receive both a student ID card and a semester ticket. Also the semester contribution must be paid. However, please do not pay the semester contribution until you have submitted your application for leave of absence, but either in due time. Please note that during a leave semester you may participate in courses, examinations, exercises, etc, but there's no need to do so.  If you want to take exams please get in contact with the examination office.

8. There is no sabbatical semester left. In this case what can I do?
In case of hardship (e.g. illness) a student may apply for an additional leave semester in addition to the above. Please consult the Registrar’s Office about this. Please note that it is not possible to apply for a previous semester to count as a leave semester.

9. For various reasons, I would like to change to a different course at the TUHH. How do I go about doing so?

Please contact the Registrar’s Office. Information and application forms are given there.

And if you are planning to switch between bachelor’s programs please note that applications to change course in the summer semester must be submitted by the re-enrollment deadline (March 15) and can only be considered if places are available. To switch programs in the winter semester you will need a notification of acceptance (Zulassungsbescheid). In other words, you must apply for admission like any other prospective student. The closing date for applications is July 15, and you will find out how to go about it here. Once you have been notified of acceptance, you must accept the offer of admission to study and then apply to switch programs before the closing date, which is September 15.

For information about switching between German-language master’s programs click here. Please bear the deadlines in mind.

If you are planning to switch between international master’s programs, please apply to the Admissions Office and read the information given here.

In general please note: The Examinations Office and/or the relevant Board of Examiners will decide whether work on the previous course can be credited.

 

10. After completing my Bachelor at the TUHH I would like to take a Master’s. How do I go about it?
For German-language study programs to which admission restrictions do not apply, if you plan to continue in your field of study without interruption you will need only to transfer to your master’s course once you have successfully completed your bachelor’s program. The application deadlines (November 15 or May 15) correspond to the examination periods. Application forms to register for the master’s program are available from the Admissions Office.

If you do not plan to continue consecutively in your field of study, you must observe the regular application procedure. The closing date for applying to study in the summer semester is January 03 and for applying to study in the winter semester is July 15. For further details about the procedure, click here.

For German-language study programs to which admission restrictions apply you must apply for a place in the way that is outlined on the TUHH website. Concerning the international Master's programs please get in contact with STUDIS.

 


Semester documents



11. What is meant by semester documents?
The Registrar’s Office provides you with your semester documents. These are: student ID card, semester ticket, enrolment and BAföG certificates, certificates for Deutsche Bahn and a data check list.

12. How do I get my semester documents?
Student ID card, semester ticket and one bilingual enrolment certificate will be sent to you by postal service after re-registration. The other documents can be printed out by your own by using the online self-service function.

13. I have paid all my contributions and fees. When will I receive my documents for the semester?
We start sending out documents for the summer semester around the middle of February and for the winter semester around the middle of August each year. If you pay after that, you will receive your documents approximately one week after we have received your payment. Please note that monies cannot be transferred to our system on a daily basis and that further delays may therefore occur.

14. I have paid a long time ago, but not received my semester documents. What can I do?
Please refer to 13. And: If you have not received your documents two weeks after remitting your money please check your bank statements to see whether the sum has really been debited, then contact the Registrar’s Office.

15. I do not need a semester ticket. What can I do?
All students are obliged to pay the contribution for the semester ticket as a matter of principle. So the semester contribution (including semester ticket) must always be paid in full. In exceptional cases for which there is good reason, it is possible to apply for a refund via the hardship fund of the Hamburg student union (Studierendenwerk Hamburg). To do so, after receiving the semester ticket you must hand it in to the Studierendenwerk along with your application for a refund by March 31 (summer semester) or September 30 (winter semester). Refund application forms are available from the Studierendenwerk Hamburg or from the AStA at the TUHH.

16. I have lost my semester ticket and/or my student ID card, or had it stolen. How do I obtain new documents?
Please submit the "Request for reprinting" to the Student Services. You can find the form and the information on the bank details here. After receipt of the form and the money, the documents will be sent to you.

Ticket lost: A fee of €10 is payable.
Student ID card lost:       A fee of €6 is payable.
Ticket and student ID card lost: A fee of €10 is payable.

If the semester documents have to be printed once more within a semester you have to pay higher fees.


17. Within what area can I use my semester ticket?
All TUHH students receive a semester ticket. With the timetable change for the winter of 2019/2020, the HVV tariff zone will be extended. Further railway lines in Lower Saxony can be used with HVV tickets from December 15, 2019.The Hamburg semester ticket will continue to be valid in the HVV tariff rings ABCDE, but not in the new “overall area”. The imprint on the semester ticket will be changed in future to “rings A-E”. With a few exceptions, this corresponds to the previous scope. In some outdoor areas, however, the layout of HVV tariff ring E is changing: the Dannenberg, Hitzacker and Leitstade stops as well as Soltau, Soltau Nord and Wolterdingen will be assigned to HVV tariff ring F from December 15, 2019: The semester ticket is not valid for these stations. Bremervörde and Hesedorf will be included in the HVV tariff ring E for the first time. If you wish to use Ring F, you can purchase a supplementary ticket from the HVV. If you use Deutsche Bahn for travel outside the HVV network, please use the online self-service function to print out a certificate for Deutsche Bahn and ask Deutsche Bahn for a season ticket (e. g. a monthly season ticket). You will find further information on the Deutsche Bahn website.

18. Can I use the semester ticket to travel first class lines?
In the area of the R-Bahnen (RB/RE), it is possible to purchase a supplementary ticket for the use of 1st class (valid in the rings A to F).

19. Can other people travel with me on my semester ticket?
Yes, you may travel with up to three children up to age 14 free of charge.
 


Insurances and BAföG



20. I have changed my health insurance provider? Do I have to notify anyone?
Yes. Under the Hamburg Higher Education Act you must always provide proof that you are adequately insured. If you switch from one statutory health insurer to another, please submit the certificate of registration at a university that the health insurer will give you. If you change to a private health insurer, please hand in a copy of your insurance policy.

21. I had been deregistered. What happens to my health insurance?
You remain insured under the statutory health insurance scheme (SGB V) for one month after the end of the semester in which you were last enrolled as a student. If, for example, you were last enrolled for the summer semester of 2015, you will have enjoyed health insurance cover until October 31, 2015. If you have a private health insurance plan, please consult your insurance company.

22. To what extent do I as a student have accident insurance cover via the TUHH?
As a student, in accordance with the German Social Insurance Code (Sozialgesetzbuch, SGB VII) your statutory health insurance is provided by the Unfallkasse Nord. This insurance cover is free of charge. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg pays the premium. As a student you have accident insurance cover for all activities relating to your studies, e.g. attendance at lectures and university facilities (e. g. the library), university sports, excursions organized by the university, your direct route to the university and back. You do not have insurance cover for the following: coursework at home, private study trips, private interruptions of your journeys to the university and back, private activities on the university campus and activities on your own account such as eating and drinking. For further information visit www.uk-nord.de

23. What do I do if I have an accident that falls within the scope of the above-mentioned insured activities?
Please tell the doctor treating you that the accident occurred in connection with attendance at a university. You do not need your health insurance card since doctors and hospitals settle their accounts directly with the insurer. The Unfallkasse Nord will then get in touch with the TUHH in order to clarify whether any safety shortcomings led to the accident. As part of this check you will be asked to give a written statement of how the accident happened. You have no further obligations.

24. What happens if I have an accident while doing the practical training / internship?
Please note that during your vocational internship you are not covered by Unfallkasse Nord accident insurance. During internships with companies, the relevant company’s accident insurer has to provide accident cover for you.

25. Where can I apply for a BAföG allowance or who can give me information about it?
In Hamburg, you apply to the Hamburg student union (Studierendenwerk Hamburg) for BAföG. For further information see www.studierendenwerk-hamburg.de

26. I need a BAföG certificate in accordance with § 9 BAföG (Federal Education and Training Assistance Act). Where can I get it?
You can print out a § 9 BAföG certificate by using the online self-service function. Please note that the BAföG office does not accept a regular registration certificate, but only the certificate specified in § 9 BAföG. So please print out the right certificate.

27. I need a BAföG certificate in accordance with §§ 15 and 48 BAföG. Where can I get it?
Please ask your Central Examinations Office.
 


Deregistration



28. What must I do if I want to terminate my studies at the TUHH of my own volition?
If you do not want to continue your studies at the TUHH, please deregister. You can find the deregistration application and further information on our website. Please print out the application and hand it in at the Registrar’s Office. As a rule, deregistration is completed within two to three days.

29. What must I pay attention to if I deregister?
With exmatriculation, or removal from the register of students, your entitlement to sit exams will in principle cease. Exmatriculation also has repercussions for your health insurance (see 21 above) and may also affect children’s allowances and BAföG payments. If your residence status is for study purposes, your right of residence expires when you end or abandon your studies. And: The TUHH requests you, including in the interest of students, to return borrowed books to the library.

30. I have successfully completed my studies. When will I be deregistered?
On completion of studies, formal deregistration takes place usually only at the end of the semester after your certificate has been handed over. If you need confirmation of deregistration, e. g. for your employer or the department for foreign nationals (Ausländerbehörde), you must apply for deregistration on your own initiative (see Point 28).

 


Something else you should know



31. When are the official semester periods at the TUHH?

Summer semester: April 1 to September 30
Winter semester: October 1 to March 31

32. And when are the lecture-free periods?
You can find the lecture-free periods and the start and finish dates of individual courses in the relevant section on our website. There is, however, no classic summer vacation period at the TUHH because the period when no lectures are held is as a rule taken up by the examination schedule.

33. I would like to study for one semester abroad. Who should I contact?
Please contact the International Office.

34. I have changed my address. Who do I have to notify?
You can change your address yourself using your TU online self-service account. It is then unnecessary to notify the Registrar’s Office or Examinations Office of your new address. The system will change it automatically.

35. Where can I obtain an international student identity card (ISIC)?
You can obtain an International Student Identity Card from the TUHH campus shop (on the right next to the library).

36. Is it possible to be exempted from paying GEZ (broadcasting fees)?
Please refer to this website.


Tuition fees



Since winter semester 2012/2013 there aren’t any longer general tuition fees. If you have any questions to tuition fees deferred or back-payments please get in contact with the Registrar’s Office.