DeutschlandTicket for Students  [25.04.23]

For €49 across the country: For many students, this is an interesting offer. The local semester ticket is actually no longer required when buying a DeutschlandTicket. This has led to some questions in recent weeks because at many university locations, the semester ticket is (co-)financed in solidarity via the semester fees. The Online-Kurier summarizes which refund options and ticket alternatives are available for Hohenheim students.

Every semester, Hohenheim students have to transfer the so-called semester fee to the university. This currently amounts to €186.70. This includes contributions for administrative costs, the student body and the student union. Also included is a "solidarity contribution" of €48.20 for the semester ticket.

The idea is that all students pay a basic amount to finance the semester ticket, even if they don't use it at all. This is to ensure that the ticket does not become too expensive for individual students who need it. In return, all students can use the student ID card as a VVS ticket from 6 p.m. during the week and all day on weekends and public holidays.

However, the DeutschlandTicket now confuses this calculation. Because with the DeutschlandTicket, public transportation is included. An additional semester ticket is actually superfluous after purchase.

However, paying the full price for the DeutschlandTicket seems unfair to many students in view of the solidarity contribution they have made. Also impractical: the start date of the DeutschlandTicket on May 1 - in the middle of the current semester.

 

Transitional solutions for students

After a conference at the end of March, the transport ministers of the federal states announced transitional solutions for students, which will be communicated via the local transport associations. These can now be found on the FAQ page of the VVS.

The following applies to students at the University of Hohenheim:

·         The solidarity contribution will be credited to the DeutschlandTicket. The VVS will reimburse €8.02 per month for the purchase. For technical reasons, however, this is only possible at the end of the current semester.

·         Anyone who has already purchased a semester ticket (StudiTicket or JugendTicketBW) and wants to switch to the DeutschlandTicket will also receive a proportional refund for the overlapping months for the ticket already purchased.

·         Exactly how the refund will work is currently still open. As soon as the procedure has been determined, the VVS will provide information about it on its FAQ page.

Whether and in what form the solidarity model for financing the semester ticket will be retained in the future is still under discussion. The umbrella organization of the German Studierendenwerke has founded a working group to develop proposals for future models. It is conceivable, for example, that a discounted student version of the DeutschlandTicket could be introduced alongside the local semester ticket.

 

JugendTicketBW & StudiTicket

New this spring is not only the DeutschlandTicket. March 1 also saw the launch of the new JugendTicketBW, which allows students under 27 to travel throughout Baden-Württemberg. At €22.39 per month, it is significantly cheaper than the classic semester ticket, which is also limited to the VVS area.

The semester ticket (StudiTicket) for 35 euros a month remains an option for students aged 27 and over for whom a ticket for the VVS area is sufficient. What is new is the flexible entry - independent of the start of the semester.

The JugendTicketBW and DeutschlandTicket can be canceled monthly. In terms of price, they are therefore also worthwhile if they are only needed for a limited period.