Jacobs Sfs Policy Handbook 20150608
Jacobs Sfs Policy Handbook 20150608
Jacobs Sfs Policy Handbook 20150608
1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
You must settle your balance due before you register for a new semester. If you are unable to do so, you must contact
Student Financial Services to develop a suitable payment plan. Students who do not meet their financial responsibilities in a
timely manner will not be allowed to register for classes, will find their CampusNet access blocked and will be asked to leave
the university.
Tuition – The total cost of tuition for one academic year at Jacobs University is € 20.000. Half of the tuition will be
charged to your student account and is due at the beginning of each semester you attend the university.
Room + Board – The total cost of room and board for the nine-month academic year is € 4.500. Half of this cost or
2.250 € is charged to your student account each semester and covers room and board for 4 ½ months (fall:
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September 1 to January 15 , spring: January 16 to May 31 ) If you are returning to the university after the fall
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semester, you may move into your room on January 16 at the earliest. If you are leaving the university after the fall
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semester then you must check out of your room on January 15 at the latest. If you arrive earlier or leave later than
these dates, you will be charged an additional 250 € rent for the respective half of the month.
Semester Ticket – All students must purchase a semester ticket each semester they attend Jacobs University. This
ticket enables you to travel free of charge throughout Bremen and the surrounding area. For the academic year
2014-2015, you will be charged € 155,76 at the beginning of each semester for the Semester Ticket.
University Fee – All undergraduate students are required to pay a € 60 university fee each semester they attend
Jacobs University. The fee includes such amenities as the cost of the graduation ceremony and celebration,
student activities, student government fee and diverse insurances that protect you while you are studying at Jacobs
University.
Broadcasting Fee – All undergraduate students living on campus are required by German law to pay a
broadcasting fee of 5,99 € per month or 53,91 € per academic year for television and radio broadcasts. This is
German law and the only exceptions that can be made are for German nationals who are receiving BAföG (German
student support program).
Summer Room + Board – If you remain on campus during the summer months, you will be charged € 1.500 for the
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months of June, July and August. Payment is due by June 15 .
Enrollment Deposit – Every admitted student wishing to attend Jacobs University must pay an enrollment deposit
of € 500 before the deadline given in your admission letter. This enrollment deposit secures your place at Jacobs
University and is not refundable if you reverse your enrollment decision. If you do enroll, the deposit will be kept on
a separate account until you check out after graduation or after leaving Jacobs University permanently. The deposit
will be used to cover any outstanding balances on your accounts only after leaving the university permanently. Any
remaining overpayments will be credited to your tuition postponement, if applicable. If there are no open balances
or tuition postponements, then the enrollment deposit will be reimbursed. In this case, you are required to inform us
of your bank account information.
Moving Off Campus / Going off the Meal Plan – A financial aid package will be adjusted in the rare case that an
undergraduate student is granted permission to move off campus or go off the meal plan. This adjustment will be
made proportionately and in most cases will reduce any grant you may have. Each case is decided on an individual
basis.
Payments – All payments received will be credited to your student account unless you specifically state to which
account the funds should be credited, i.e. tuition postponement account. Payment deadlines are always January 7th
and August 1st and it is your responsibility to transfer your funds early enough to ensure that your payment is on
our account by these deadlines.
Overpayments – Any overpayment on continuing student’s accounts will remain on the account to cover future
charges. If you have left or are leaving Jacobs University permanently and have an overpayment on your student
account, the overpayment will be transferred to your tuition postponement account, if applicable. If you do not have
a tuition postponement account, you will be contacted. You may then either request a refund or donate the
overpayment to the Student Emergency Fund. If the overpayment is refunded, you are responsible for all bank
transfer fees. If you donate the overpayment to the Student Emergency Fund, you may receive a receipt for any
donation over € 50. This receipt may be used for tax exemption purposes. If a student does not respond within 14
days after being contacted, the overpayment will automatically be donated to the Student Emergency Fund.
Non-payment – Any student who has not paid their semester fees or contacted the Office of Student Financial
Services by the deadline will be denied access to CampusNet and registration. The student will be required to either
make full payment or to contact the Office of Student Financial Services us to set up a payment plan. If no payment
is received or the payment plan is not adhered to, all outstanding amounts are due immediately. Failure to pay by
the given deadline will then result in suspension from the university.
Jacobs University reserves the right to refuse to furnish grades, transcripts, diplomas or recommendations for
students who do not pay their student account balances. Students will also be denied the right to register for
classes. Jacobs University will authorize a commercial collection agency to assist in the collection of student
accounts that are not paid.
Scholarships and Grants – Half of your yearly scholarship and/or grant will be credited to your account at the
beginning of each semester.
Tuition Postponement – Half of your yearly tuition postponement will be credited to your student account and
charged to your tuition postponement account at the beginning of each semester. Your tuition postponement begins
accruing interest on a monthly basis at a rate of 7,75% p.a. as soon as it is charged to your tuition postponement
account. You are not required to make repayments to this account while studying at Jacobs University. You may,
however, make payments of any amount to your tuition postponement account during this time without any
penalties. New students receiving a tuition postponement are required to attend an entrance interview with a
Student Financial Services Officer.
Accepting Financial Aid – You must sign and return your Financial Aid Letter and/or your Tuition Postponement
Agreement no later than the deadline given on the documents. Failure to do so by the deadline will result in the
loss of any financial aid you would have received and you will be liable for the full cost of attending Jacobs
University for that semester.
Tuition - The total cost of tuition for one academic year at Jacobs University is € 20.000. Half of the tuition will be
charged to your student account and is due at the beginning of each semester you attend the university. You may
have received a waiver for this tuition and/or a tuition postponement.
Room + Board – If you are living on campus, you will be charged € 600 per month for room + board. Room + board
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may be paid on a monthly basis and is due on the 1 day of each month in advance for the upcoming month.
Semester Ticket – All students must purchase a semester ticket each semester they attend Jacobs University.
This ticket enables you to travel free of charge throughout Bremen and the surrounding area. For the academic year
2013-2014, you will be charged € 155,76 at the beginning of each semester for the semester ticket.
University Fee – Graduate students at Jacobs University are required to pay a university fee of € 60 for Master
students and € 50 for PhD students per semester. The fee is due before the beginning of the semester and covers
services such as the government fee, liability insurance, graduation fees, clubs and sports activities etc. For more
information regarding the fee, please contact the GSA.
Broadcasting Fee – All graduate students living on campus are required by German law to pay a broadcasting fee
of 5,99 € per month or 53,91 € per academic year for television and radio broadcasts. This is German law and the
only exceptions that can be made are for German nationals who are receiving BAföG (German student support
program).
Enrollment Deposit – Every admitted student wishing to attend Jacobs University must pay an enrollment deposit
of € 500 before the deadline given in your admission letter. This enrollment deposit secures your place at Jacobs
University and is not refundable if you reverse your enrollment decision. In case you do enroll, the deposit will be
used to cover any outstanding balances on your student account. If there are no open balances, then the enrollment
deposit will be reimbursed upon leaving the university permanently. In this case, you are required to inform us of
your bank account information.
Claims for Travel Expenses – If you go on a business or research trip for Jacobs University and you receive a
cash travel advance, the amount you received will be charged to an additional, separate account. You must then
submit your travel expenditure claim, including all receipts. Once the claim has been approved, the actual amount
spent will be credited to this account and will offset the charge. Any amount of the travel advance that has not been
spent remains a charge on the account and must be repaid.
Payments – All payments received will be credited to your student account unless you specifically state to which
account the funds should be credited, i.e. tuition postponement account. Payment deadlines are always January 7th
and August 1st and it is your responsibility to transfer your funds early enough to ensure that your payment is on
our account by these deadlines.
Overpayments – Any overpayment on continuing student’s accounts will remain on the account to cover future
charges. If you have left or are leaving Jacobs University permanently and have an overpayment on your student
account, you will be contacted. You may then either request a refund or donate the overpayment to the Student
Emergency Fund. If the overpayment is refunded, you are responsible for all bank transfer fees. If you donate the
overpayment to the Student Emergency Fund, you may receive a receipt for any donation over € 50. This receipt
may be used for tax exemption purposes. If a student does not respond within 14 days after being contacted, the
overpayment will automatically be donated to the Student Emergency Fund.
Non-payment - Any student who has not paid their semester fees or contacted the Office of Student Financial
Services by the deadline will be denied access to CampusNet and registration. The student will be required to either
make full payment or to contact the Office of Student Financial Services us to set up a payment plan. If no payment
is received or the payment plan is not adhered to, all outstanding amounts are due immediately. Failure to pay by
the given deadline will then result in suspension from the university.
Jacobs University reserves the right to refuse to furnish grades, transcripts, diplomas or recommendations for
students who do not pay their student account balances. Students will also be denied the right to register for
classes. Jacobs University will authorize a commercial collection agency to assist in the collection of student
accounts that are not paid.
Students who withdraw from Jacobs University for any reason must attend an exit interview with Student Financial
Services in order to settle their student account and to discuss their tuition postponement account if applicable,
whether they leave voluntarily or not.
Students who withdraw without meeting their financial obligations to Jacobs University will have their transcripts
withheld and risk legal action. In this case, all open balances on your student account and tuition postponement
account are due and payable immediately.
Students not returning to Jacobs University for a subsequent semester must inform the registrar’s office at the latest
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by November 1 for the spring semester and June 1 for the fall semester. If they fail to do so, they will be charged
full tuition for the following semester.
Students leaving Jacobs University during the fall semester will not be charged for the spring semester.
Students leaving Jacobs University within the first four weeks after registering for a given semester will receive a
50% refund on tuition only for the respective semester. No refund of tuition will be given after these four weeks.
Students who withdraw either willingly or due to ex-matriculation from Jacobs University’s Foundation Year, Visiting
Program, Exchange Program or Winter School must inform the corresponding program coordinator. The date on which
Jacobs University determines that the student is withdrawn, will be the official date of withdrawal.
Students who withdraw from the above mentioned programs due to exceptional and unforeseen circumstances are eligible to
apply for special refund conditions during the admission and enrollment process. Such applications should be filed as soon
as possible with the corresponding program coordinator. Jacobs University reserves the right to determine the exact
conditions of refund.
Students who withdraw without meeting their financial obligations to Jacobs University will risk legal action.
Students who leave the Foundation Year up to 3 weeks prior to the start of the Orientation Week are eligible for a 100 %
tuition refund.
Students who leave the Foundation Year after this point and up to the four weeks after the start of the Orientation Week
are eligible for a 50% tuition refund. The following charges are not refundable: room and board, semester ticket,
university fee. These students will not be charged for the Spring Semester.
Students leaving the Foundation Year after these four weeks are not eligible for any refund for the respective semester
in which they leave.
Students who leave the Exchange Program 3 weeks or less prior to the start of the Orientation Week, or later, will be
charged full room and board fees, semester ticket, and university fees for a corresponding semester.
Visiting Students
Students who leave the Visiting Program up to 3 weeks prior to the start of the Orientation Week are eligible for a 100 %
tuition refund. Cancellation fees for booked excursions may apply.
Students who leave the Visiting Program after this point and up to the four weeks after the start of the Orientation Week
are eligible for a 50% tuition refund. The following charges are not refundable: room and board, semester ticket,
university fee and all costs incurred for the planning and implementation of excursions.
Students who leave the Visiting Program after these four weeks are not eligible for any tuition, room and board,
semester ticket or university fee refund for the respective semester in which they leave.
Students who leave the Winter School program up to 3 weeks prior to its start are eligible for a full refund of the course
registration and room and board fees.
Students who leave the Winter School program 3 weeks or less prior to its start will be charged full course registration
and room and board fees.
All undergraduate students who are graduating must participate in an Exit Interview with Student Financial Services.
You will be informed of the appointment dates in the spring of the year you expect to graduate.
All graduating students must pay their student account in full three weeks prior to graduation.
Students who do not settle their accounts in full by the deadline will not graduate, and will receive neither a diploma
nor a transcript until their accounts are cleared. In this case, all open balances on your student account and tuition
postponement account are due and payable immediately.
All students applying for admission may also apply for financial aid. The deadlines for applying are:
You must enclose originals or certified copies of your most recent tax documents verifying your family's income. In
addition, you must submit further documentation verifying your parents’ gross and net income. This should be in the
form of tax returns and pay slips or letters of employment. We also require a bank statement proving that € 1.000
are at your disposal for the first semester. Please ensure that your documents are certified and officially translated
into either English or German.
You can find more information on how to apply at the following website:
http://www.jacobs-university.de/finaidapplication
Effective as of summer 2012, it is no longer mandatory to submit a financial aid renewal application. Your initial
financial aid package is valid for your three years of studies at the university. If, however, circumstances in your
family warrant a review of your financial aid package, you may submit the online application and all supporting
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documentation by May 1 . In this case, the online renewal application will be reviewed. However, there is no
guarantee that your original financial aid package will be adjusted. We also reserve the right to spot-check any
student receiving financial aid at any time.
If you receive a scholarship, your GPA standing will be reviewed at the end of each academic year. You must retain
a GPA better than 2,5 in order to keep your scholarship. In the case of loss, any resulting need may be partially or
completely replaced with financial aid.
If you are attending another university or taking a leave of absence and you plan to request financial aid for one
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semester in the following academic year, then you must inform your Financial Services Officer by the May 1
deadline.
No scholarships and/or grants are awarded in the rare case that a student is granted a 7th semester.
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Students granted a 7 semester may or may not be allowed to live on campus, depending on space availability.
Students taking 4 courses or less will be charged 20% of tuition (2.000 €) per course. Students taking 5 or more
courses will be charged full tuition (10.000 €).
Candidates for a 7th semester may apply to receive a tuition postponement. A student’s previous level of
indebtedness to the university will be evaluated, and an additional tuition postponement may or may not be granted.
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If you require a 7 semester, you must submit a complete financial aid application, including supporting
documentation, as soon as your request has been approved by the dean.
If an outside scholarship acquired by Jacobs University is granted, the financial aid package will be affected as
follows:
If a student acquires an outside scholarship, the financial aid package will be affected as follows:
The Tuition Postponement Plan is similar to a loan program. You are postponing the payment of your tuition through a
deferral plan for each of the three years you are studying at Jacobs University. You are not required to make any repayments
while you are studying at Jacobs University.
The interest rate on your tuition postponement is fixed and will not change.
The interest rate on your tuition postponement is currently 7,75% p.a. and is charged monthly.
Interest begins accruing as soon as you receive the tuition postponement and continues to accrue until the tuition
postponement and all accrued interest are repaid in full. Individual repayment plans that take into account your
personal financial situation will be discussed during your exit interview.
Your tuition postponement exists for the three years you are attending Jacobs University and for approximately
seven years after graduation from or leaving Jacobs University. If you attend graduate school, the duration of the
tuition postponement repayment period can be extended.
You may begin repayment of your tuition postponement while you are studying at Jacobs University, but you are not
required to do so.
There are no penalties for early repayment of the tuition postponement or for additional installments paid. If you
decide upon early repayment of the entire sum after leaving Jacobs University, you will receive a 5% discount on
your last installment.
Required repayment of your tuition postponement begins after graduating from or leaving Jacobs University
permanently and after your grace period expires.
The grace period is 6 months and it is the amount of time after graduating or leaving in which you are not required
to begin repayment. The purpose of the grace period is to give you time to relocate, find employment, etc. For
example, if you graduate in May/June, you would begin monthly payments in January of the following year or
quarterly payments in March of the following year.
You may request an extension of your grace period during further study periods (Master and/or PhD). In this case,
contact us and provide proof of matriculation at an institute of higher learning.
You may choose between payments on a monthly or on a quarterly basis. If you relocate outside of Germany, we
recommend making payments on a quarterly basis in order to avoid high bank charges. The quarterly due dates are
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March 31 , June 30 , September 30 and December 31 . Timely payment is expected.
If you are attending graduate school after leaving Jacobs University, you may apply for an additional grace period of
up to 24 months. To take advantage of this, you must submit a copy of your registration at an institute of higher
education each academic year you are enrolled. This option is only valid up to five years after graduating from or
leaving Jacobs University.
We urge you to consider taking a loan from a bank in your home country to fully or partly cover
the university’s tuition postponement. Since interest rates at banks are sometimes lower than
7.75%, you may save a considerable amount on the interest accruing. In this case, please inform
us of the amount of tuition postponement you would still require from Jacobs University Bremen.
In addition, we urge you to research external scholarships that may be available to you. You will
find further information and two scholarship search engines at the following website:
https://www.jacobs-university.de/finances/external-scholarships-and-stipends
If you do not pay your agreed upon installments in time, you will be considered in default on your tuition
postponement. If you are experiencing difficulties, please notify the Student Financial Services Office immediately.
Jacobs University reserves the right to refuse to furnish grades, transcripts, diplomas or recommendations for
students who do not pay their required monthly installments.
In the case of default, the entire amount of the tuition postponement is due immediately and your case will be
forwarded to a commercial collection agency. You will also be responsible for any additional costs incurred.
If you are in repayment of your tuition postponement and have any questions or concerns, please contact:
The address for the Sparkasse Bremen is: The address for the Deutsche Bank is:
Am Brill 1-3 Domshof 25
28195 Bremen 28195 Bremen
Germany Germany
Both codes are needed for transferring money to Jacobs University’s account internationally.
Please state on your transfer the student account number to which your payment should be credited (Student Account No.,
Tuition Postponement Account No.).
You may also choose our new payment system peerTransfer. With peerTransfer, you are offered excellent foreign exchange
rates, allowing you to pay in your home currency (in most cases) and save a significant amount of money, as compared to
traditional banks. Please see the following website for all details:
https://www.peertransfer.com/
1. The student account statement shows the charges and credits for one calendar year
6. Your Student Account balance, which includes your current charges, is due and payable by the due
dates stated in section 11 of the SFS Policy Handbook.
7. List of all student account transaction activity for the current statement period. The "Beginning Balance"
is equal to the student account balance from the previous year or statement. The detail itemizes all
charges and/or credits made to your account.
8. Indicates the date your transaction was posted to the billing system.
11. Charges, such as tuition, room, board and related fees, applied to the account.
13. List of all transactions pertaining to your graduate tuition postponement account for the current
statement period. The "Beginning Balance" is equal to the tuition postponement balance from the
previous year or statement. The detail itemizes all charges and/or credits made to your account.
14. List of all transactions pertaining to your tuition postponement account for the current statement period.
The "Beginning Balance" is equal to the tuition postponement balance from the previous year or
statement. The detail itemizes all charges and/or credits made to your account.
15. Very Important: To help us maintain an accurate account statement for you, please indicate your name
and the reason for your payment on your transfer. For example if you were Carl Nobody and were
transferring € 2,500 for tuition and your tuition postponement, you would indicate the following on your
transfer: Carl Nobody, € 2,000 to Student Account No. 65897; € 500 to Tuition Postponement Account
No. 85623.
16. Please note that the balance due (6) only reflects the balance on the student account but not on the
graduate tuition postponement account or the undergraduate tuition postponement account. If your
status showing is “disenrolled” or “suspension”, then you must refer to your tuition postponement
payback plan for your monthly or quarterly rate. Alternatively, you may contact the offices of Student
Financial Services at the following address: [email protected].
Tuition** 20.000 €
Room & Board 4.500 €
University Fee 120 €
Semester Tickets 312 €
Broadcasting Fee 54 €
Enrollment Deposit (one time only) 500 €
Total 25.486 €
*All fees are subject to change and this information sheet should be considered a guide only.
** Medical Natural Sciences = 30.000 € tuition only and Medical Preparatory Program = 25.000 € tuition, room and board
Your direct charges for tuition, room and board may be highly reduced by a Jacobs University scholarship and/or by our
financial aid program.
Apply now!
http://www.jacobs-university.de/study/undergraduate/fees-finances/financial-aid/financial-aid-application
Before you arrive, please ensure you have sufficient funds for all costs that exceed any financial aid package you may have.
These costs include but are not limited to the stated indirect estimated expenses and of course, the amount anyone spends
depends greatly on his or her own personal situation and individual choices.
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Room & Board – covers the cost for your college room, basic utility expenses like heating, water, electricity, internet access,
plus three meals per day for nine months (September to May)
Semester Ticket – allows you to travel on local public transportation at no additional cost for the entire year (including local
trains to neighboring cities like Hannover, Hamburg, Osnabrück, and Oldenburg)
Broadcasting Fee – this fee is mandatory for all residents of Germany and covers the cost of public television and radio
broadcastings
Enrollment Deposit – in order to confirm your acceptance of our offer of admission, you must pay a one-time enrollment
deposit of 500 €
Health Insurance – required of all students! You may be able to find less expensive health insurance from home, but you
need to make sure that the insurance will cover all applicable costs in Germany. You also need verification of your health
insurance in order to register.
* Mandatory expense
** Variable expense
The following due dates / deadlines are effective for undergraduate students, graduate students and students who have left
or graduated from Jacobs University, where applicable.
FALL SEMESTER
SPRING SEMESTER
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* Please note: If you are paying for Room + Board on a monthly basis, your payment is due by the 1 day of each month of
the academic year in advance for the upcoming month.