Update on the Deutschland-Semesterticket – March 2024

The ticket will only be offered digitally and personalized, i.e. via an app (RIDECampus). An analog version, e.g. chip card or similar, will most likely NOT be available in the summer semester 2024. The price of the Deutschlandsemesterticket is included in the re-registration fee. The price for the summer semester is € 176.40.

For the first time on 10 March (and daily from then on), the university administration will share your data with the VBB service provider. This is necessary in order to digitally verify your eligibility and create a personalized digital ticket. You can object to this data transfer (opt-out), but this means that you will NOT be able to use the purely digital ticket, as there is no analog version without data transfer. Nevertheless, you are still obliged to pay the fee of €176.40, as the Deutschlandsemesterticket is also a solidarity model. This means that all students who are generally entitled to the ticket according to the contract with the VBB (who cannot be exempted otherwise) must pay the Deutschlandsemesterticket, regardless of whether they are traveling on foot, by bike, by car or by train.

As soon as the final contractual basis with the VBB has been created, we will, together with the HTW Berlin student service, create a possibility to apply for a refund of the ticket if there is a reason for exemption (see below) or if you are not entitled to a ticket (see also below).

These conditions were given to us by the transport association and could not be influenced by us:

• Guest students and cross-registered students within the meaning of the relevant higher education law
• Students who are only enrolled in an evening, online or distance learning course without compulsory attendance (“distance students”). Dear distance students who were previously entitled to the “old” semester ticket and have therefore already paid the full semester fee including the ticket price: The money you paid in excess is not lost and can simply be credited to the following semester. You don’t have to do anything for this. If you urgently need the money you paid in excess, you can also have it refunded.
• Severely disabled people who are entitled to transport under SGB IX and who can prove that they have the supplementary sheet to the severely disabled person’s pass and the associated token
• Students in part-time study programs
• Students who can prove that they are taking a semester off or abroad
• Students who are not members of the student body
• Students who are enrolled in supplementary, additional or postgraduate courses or who are taking part in continuing education courses as well as doctoral students

Note for part-time students

In previous information, part-time students or students with a maximum of 15 ECTS per semester were exempted from the obligation to receive credit. However, since this regulation is based on the ECTS requirements of the respective study regulations, this regulation does not apply at our university.

The number of ECTS per semester therefore has no effect on the semester ticket. Part-time students are therefore generally obliged to pay for the Germany semester ticket.

These reasons were also given to us by the VBB and we were unable to influence them.

• Stay abroad: for students who are staying outside the scope of the Germany Semester Ticket (Germany) for at least three consecutive months of the respective semester due to their studies, a practical semester, a semester abroad or as part of their final thesis.
• Double enrollment: for students who are enrolled at two universities with a Germany Semester Ticket, can be reimbursed at one university.
• Illness/ exmatriculation:for students who can prove that they are enrolled more than one month after the start of the semester, are exmatriculated during the current semester, withdraw their enrollment, are granted retroactive leave during the current semester or can prove that they are so seriously ill during the current semester that they would be entitled to a semester off.
• (Temporary) disability: for students who cannot use local public transport due to their disability. This also includes temporary disabilities if they also prevent the use of local public transport for the semester. The requirements must be proven by a medical certificate.

Simply not using the Germany Semester Ticket does not constitute an exemption!
Purchasing a private or job ticket does not constitute an exemption!

The VBB refuses to grant you an exemption. We are currently looking into alternative ways to support you.

We are working flat out on the Germany Semester Ticket. We would like to thank the computer center and student services at HTW Berlin and all employees involved – the Germany Semester Ticket represents a major additional organizational burden. We would like to point out that not all universities nationwide will be able to introduce the Germany Semester Ticket due to the tight deadline for the summer semester of 2024. The current contract with the VBB for the Germany Semester Ticket will initially only apply to the summer semester of 2024. We very much hope that we can renegotiate improvements for future semesters. First of all, we are happy to be able to implement the Germany Semester Ticket in its current form for the summer semester of 2024. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding.