Tuition & Financing

Tuition & Financing

Tuition fees

Student Services offers information & advice relating to fees and funding. Tuition fees cover the cost of your registration, teaching, assessment and operating university facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. Fees can vary between different programs, so ensure you check this before applying. When you accept the offer of a place in a program you are accepting responsibility for the payment of your tuition fees. This applies even if you are being sponsored and your sponsor fails to pay.

At KLU, financing issues for the whole course of studies need to be settled before commencement of studies. KLU’s budgeting support for tuition goes by the annual intake and offers no scheme for students already on the program.

Please refer to the following overview for the amount of tuition fees for the individual degree programs:

 

PROGRAM ECTS DURATION PROGRAM START 2024
Preparation Program
Complete Program
n.a. 1 year
2 semesters
5480.00 per semester
Preparation Program
with German A2 or English C1
n.a. 1 year
2 semesters
4980.00 per semester
Preparation Program
no languages - academic program
n.a. 1 year
2 semesters
4480.00 per semester
BSc in Business Administration
Standard Track
180 3 years
6 semester
6390.00 per semester
BSc in Business Administration
Intensive Track
210 3 years
6 semester
7090.00 per semester
MSc in International Management
Standard Track
180 2 years
4 semester
7390.00 per semester
MSc in International Management
Fast Track
210 1,5 years
3 semester
7890.00 per semester
MSc in International Management
Part-Time Track
210 2,5 years
5 semester
7390.00 per semester
MSc in Global Logistics & SCM
Standard Track
180 2 years
4 semester
7390.00 per semester
MSc in Global Logistics & SCM
Fast Track
210 1,5 years
3 semester
7890.00 per semester
MSc in Global Logistics & SCM
Cooperations Track
180 2 years
4 semester
8390.00 per semester
MSc in Global Logistics & SCM
Part-Time Track
210 2,5 years
5 semester
7390.00 per semester
MBA in Leadership and Supply Chain Management 60 1,5 years
3 semesters
10583.00 per semester
Master in Sustainable Management and Operations 60 1,5 years
3 semesters
7467.00 per semester
Certificate in Sustainable Management and Operations 45 1 year
2 semsesters
7450.00 per semester

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Costs of living

Students of the full-time programs should budget around 14,980 € per year of study (excl. travel expenses). An amount of at least 11,208 € per year has to be deposited or proven when applying for a student visa at German embassies or consulates.
Estimated expenses for a single person per year in Euro:

Health insurance

(if you are ≥ 30 years)

1,410 €

(2,400 €)

Liability insurance       60 €

Housing / accommodation

 6,600 €
Food, clothing, misc.  6,000 €
Textbooks (recommended)     800 €
Residence permit      110 € (extension 80 €)

Total (per year)

 

14,980 €

(15,970 €)

Students’ requirements may vary significantly depending on choice of housing, living or travel expenses. For further information check also the website Studying in Germany.

Tax savings

In Germany, tuition can be claimed on tax returns and the tax savings can be used to partially finance students’ degrees.

All master’s degree students can claim all the costs of their degree program as anticipated income-related expenses before graduating and after completing their vocational training, and carry them forward over their time enrolled as cumulative losses – assuming they had no or very little income in that time. Loss carry-forwards make this possible: the losses that students incur because they are studying are offset from their incomes after graduation in subsequent years. This reduces the income for which taxes are due. The costs associated with the semester abroad and tuition are deductible.

It is only possible to take advantage of loss carry-forward if the degree program is a second degree (master’s degree after the bachelor’s or a bachelor’s degree after an apprenticeship). The costs of first degrees can be deducted as a special expense up to a limit of €6,000. Study-related expenses only have an effect in the same year and only result in tax benefits for people whose incomes are high enough that they actually pay income tax in Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court is reviewing the regulation regarding the costs of the first degree. For this reason, students should always claim their study-related expenses as income-related expenses on their income tax returns.

If students participate in the Brain Capital plan and defer payment of tuition fees, the fees can be deducted as soon as payment is initiated (outflow principle). 

*non-committal statement as KLU is not allowed to act as a tax advisor.

Brain Capital financing

Brain Capital is an innovative tuition financing concept. Students participating in these models do not or only partially pay tuition fees during their studies at KLU. However, they commit themselves to make income-dependent payments upon completion of their studies. The total amount of payments is linked to the income earned. The model is based on a solidarity principle: students with higher income repay more than students with lower income. There are limits for maximum annual and maximum total payments (about twice the tuition fee amount adjusted for inflation). 

If you are admitted at KLU and wish to finance your tuition fees at KLU partly via the Brain Capital scheme, please fill in the Brain Capital application form and send it to admission@klu.org by July 31, at the very latest. Indicate the amount that is necessary to cover part of the tuition fees. Please keep in mind that the scheme may not allow a full coverage of your tuition. Applications for Brain Capital are only accepted before commencement of studies. Only admitted candidates participate in the selection.

The selection committee meets at the beginning of every month deciding on all applications received until the last date of the previous month. A positive decision on the application depends on various factors. In any case the number of applications received as well as a regional quota is considered.

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Gordon Kirstätter

Online Marketing Manager - Key Account

Brain Capital

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Vipasha Tulzapurkar

Admissions Manager

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Leonora Albrecht

Admissions Manager

How does Brain Capital Financing work?

  • Solidarity: KLU graduates who are working support their successors who are still at university.
  • Flexibility: The repayment attunes to your career - who earns less pays back less. Those who earn more pay back more.
  • Safety: If in any year your income falls below a level of EUR 30,000, the loan is deferred for that year (EUR 15,000 for non-OECD countries).
  • Freedom: You are free in your career and family planning, because the repayment starts only if you have a minimum income of EUR 30,000 (EUR 15,000 for non-OECD countries).
Marie Besselmann

Since my Bachelor studies, the combination of the KfW student loan and the Brain Capital financing scheme has been the perfect way for me to finance my academic education. I decided for those options as I don’t have to pay the full tuition all at once and can rather concentrate on my studies first. Once I have a regular income, I will make the repayments.

Marie Besselmann - Student MSc Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Class of 2019

Loan schemes

There are different loan schemes to finance the cost of living. These primarily target German and EU nationals. Candidates of other nationalities are only eligible if they have a German baccalaureate (Abitur) and permanent residence status in Germany. 

The German federal government and KFW banking group, a German government-owned development bank, offer the following loan to Germans and EU citizens. Non-EU candidates are eligible only if they have a certificate of graduation from a German secondary school and permanent resident status in Germany.

Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) 

German federal government loan program: The loan program provides you with state funding to pursue education and training. You receive 50 percent of BAföG aid as a state grant and 50 percent as an interest-free loan. Your eligibility is dependent on your parent’s income. Read more about the Federal Training Assistance Act (in German).

KfW-Student Loan

The KfW offers the KfW-Studienkredit for our Bachelor and Master programs as well as our MBA. With the KfW-Studienkredit, you are able to finance your costs of living. The KfW-Studienkredit is highly flexible. Please find all information concerning the KfW-Studienkredit here. The product profile of the loan can be found here (unfortunately both is only offered in German). Please note: This loan scheme is primarily available for German citizens or students with a German baccalaureate (Abitur). There are exceptions, please consult the KfW-website for further information.   

Our partner concerning the KfW-Studienkredit is the HASPA, which offers advice for the KfW-Studienkredit as well as a student bank account with many benefits for students in Hamburg. 

For further information, please contact Ms. Sophie Harms (Tel. +49 40 3579-7227, hafencity@haspa.de) from the HASPA.

Counseling center for study financing

The counseling center for study financing "BeSt" from Studierendenwerk Hamburg offers free and objective advisory service on all topics of student finance such as BAföG, scholarships, student loans, etc. As a (prospective) KLU student you may make use of their counseling services and get individual advice:

Counselling centre for study financing – BeSt
Grindelallee 9
(first floor)
20146 Hamburg
(near Dammtor railstation)

Telephone: +49 / 40 / 41 902 - 300
best@studierendenwerk-hamburg.de

Office hours
Mon 9.30 am - 3.00 pm
Tue, Thu 9.30 am - 5.00 pm
Wed, 11.00 am - to 1.00 pm
Fri 9.30 am - 1.00 pm

Online you find information here:
student financing for international students
student financing for German students

Contact

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Leonora Albrecht

Admissions Manager

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Vipasha Tulzapurkar

Admissions Manager