Student status benefits mainly concern mobility, health insurance and everyday costs. The Germany semester ticket (Deutschland-Semesterticket) costs 37.80 euros per month in 2026, while the regular Germany ticket costs 63 euros. The semester ticket is available wherever your university offers it. In student health insurance, a flat contribution applies, and many providers grant student discounts if you show proof of enrolment.
Quick answer
Student status brings benefits in mobility, health insurance and everyday costs. The Germany semester ticket costs 37.80 euros per month in 2026. Up to age 25 you are usually family-insured, and after that student health insurance applies until 30. The broadcasting fee exemption and many discounts need proof or an application. As of October 2026.
What matters most in brief
- The Germany semester ticket costs 37.80 euros per month in 2026 (226.80 euros per semester), provided your university offers it. In 2027 it will be 40.08 euros per month.
- Up to age 25, you usually stay insured through your parents’ family insurance. After that, you are in student health insurance until the end of the semester in which you turn 30.
- If you receive BAföG and do not live with your parents, you can apply for exemption from the broadcasting fee (18.36 euros per month).
- Student discounts on technology, software and streaming are often available, but the amounts and conditions change. Always compare the final price.
What student status benefits does the student card give you?
The student card is your proof for price reductions that providers explicitly link to enrolment. Some offers ask for an enrolment certificate or a university email address instead. The most important areas at a glance:
| Area | What you are entitled to | First point of contact |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Germany semester ticket for 37.80 euros per month (2026) | General student committee (AStA) or student services organisation |
| Health insurance | Family insurance up to 25 or compulsory student insurance up to 30 | Health insurance fund |
| Broadcasting fee | Exemption on application with BAföG receipt and your own residence | Beitragsservice (contribution service) |
| Taxes | Reclaim wage tax withheld through your tax return | Tax office (Finanzamt) |
| Culture and university | Reduced admission, canteen, university sports, depending on the city | Student services organisation, university |
| Technology and software | Student tariffs and university licences | Computing centre, provider websites |
How much can you save with the semester ticket?
The Germany semester ticket costs 37.80 euros per month in 2026. That is 60% of the regular Germany ticket price of 63 euros. It applies wherever your university offers it, and it can be billed through the semester contribution.
Example. You study at a university with the Germany semester ticket. Per semester you pay 6 × 37.80 euros = 226.80 euros. The regular Germany ticket would cost 6 × 63 euros = 378 euros over the same period. The difference is 151.20 euros per semester, or 302.40 euros per year.
For 2027, it has been decided that the Germany ticket will cost 66.80 euros and the semester ticket 40.08 euros per month. The student services organisations are calling for the student price to be decoupled from the standard price, so far without result. Background information is available from the student services organisations (German).
What benefits do you get with health insurance?
Up to age 25, you are usually family-insured through your parents free of contributions. The condition is that your total income in 2026 is at most 565 euros per month, or at most 603 euros if you have only a mini-job. BAföG, maintenance payments and child benefit do not count as income.
If family insurance ends, student health insurance applies. It runs until the end of the semester in which you turn 30, and requires that you are enrolled at a state or state-recognised university and work at most 20 hours per week during term time. The contribution calculation is the same for everyone:
| Contribution component 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Health insurance (basic contribution) | 87.38 euros per month |
| Additional contribution | Varies by fund, at an average of 2.9% about 24.80 euros |
| Long-term care insurance under 23 or with a child | 30.78 euros per month |
| Long-term care insurance childless from 23 | 35.91 euros per month |
Together, at the average additional contribution, this comes to about 143 euros per month under 23, and about 148 euros from 23. The contributions do not depend on whether you receive BAföG.
Private health insurance is possible during studies, but it has its price in other respects. The exemption from compulsory insurance applies for the whole course of study and is irrevocable, a return to a statutory fund is difficult later, and premiums can rise. The article on the advantages of private patients (in German) explains what speaks for and against switching.
What do the student services organisation and the university offer?
Student services organisations run canteens, halls of residence and advice centres, and the semester contribution often covers further services. Which services these are differs from university to university. The semester contribution is made up of contributions for the student body, the student services organisation and, where applicable, the semester ticket.
A culture ticket is not available everywhere. Where it is offered, it entitles you to reduced or discounted admission to theatres, museums or concerts, and each city sets its own rules for how it is billed. The same applies to university sports, language courses and advice services. A look at the websites of the student services organisation, the AStA and the university sports centre will show what is included at your location.
The place where you study also acts like a discount or a surcharge. The average shared-flat rent is 510 euros per month nationwide, and 850 euros in Munich. The BAföG housing allowance is 380 euros and is below the average rent in 76 of the 90 university towns examined. How living costs and lifestyle differ by location is shown in city or small town (in German) and in the comparison of towns for students (in German).
Which student discounts exist for technology, software and streaming?
Student discounts exist for notebooks, tablets, software, streaming and mobile contracts. Providers almost always require proof for this, such as an enrolment certificate or a university email address. Percentages and conditions change frequently, so it pays to check the current provider website.
- Ask the computing centre of your university first about campus licences for office and specialist software.
- For hardware, compare the student price with the normal market price. A discount on a high list price is not automatically a good deal.
- For subscriptions, check what happens after the student period, and note when the discount ends.
Second-hand markets are often worthwhile for furniture, kitchen appliances or books, as the article Second-hand instead of new (in German) shows. A list of what you really need at the start is available under Starter kit for students (in German).
Where can you save on money and taxes?
Several benefits apply only on application. The most important ones, with their requirements, are listed here:
| Benefit | Amount and requirement |
|---|---|
| Exemption from the broadcasting fee | Fee 18.36 euros per month. Exemption with BAföG receipt if you do not live with your parents. Applies only for the approval period, after which you must apply again. |
| Study start grant | 1,000 euros one-off as a grant. For under-25s who start a full-time degree for the first time and who received certain social benefits, such as housing benefit, in the month before the start of study. |
| Germany scholarship (Deutschlandstipendium) | 300 euros per month, regardless of income. Awarded by the university based on performance and commitment, with varying deadlines. |
| Child benefit | 259 euros per child and month, paid to the parents, generally up to age 25 during a first degree. |
| Reclaiming wage tax | Worthwhile for a working student job, a holiday job or a paid internship if wage tax was withheld. Flat-rate taxed mini-jobs generally do not lead to a refund. |
You apply for the exemption from the broadcasting fee at the Beitragsservice. An explanatory statement with notes is available from the student services organisations (German). It can be applied for retroactively for up to three years. In a shared flat, one person’s exemption does not help the other flatmates.
The study start grant is handled entirely online via BAföG Digital and is not offset against BAföG. You must apply at the latest two months after the first semester begins. Requirements and procedure are listed by the student services organisations (German).
You can voluntarily file a tax return until 31 December of the fourth following year. If you start a second degree or a master’s after completing an initial qualification, such as a bachelor’s, you can claim the costs as income-related expenses. In a first degree, up to 6,000 euros per year can be deducted as special expenses. This only takes effect if there is taxable income in the same year. More is in Tax benefits during studies (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Which student card benefits exist in concrete terms?
The card proves your enrolment. With it you show eligibility for the semester ticket, the canteen, reduced admission and student tariffs from providers who grant such prices. Which benefits apply at your location depends on the university and the city. Ask the student services organisation or the AStA.
What does the Germany semester ticket cost?
In 2026 you pay 37.80 euros per month, which is 226.80 euros per semester. For 2027, 40.08 euros per month has been decided, because the price is linked to 60% of the Germany ticket. The ticket is available only where the university offers it. Ask the AStA or the student services organisation how it is billed at your location.
What is a culture ticket for students?
A culture ticket is a local offer that gives students reduced or discounted access to theatres, museums or concerts. It does not exist everywhere and is regulated differently, sometimes included in the semester contribution and sometimes charged in addition. The student services organisation or the AStA of your university can tell you more.
What services does the student services organisation offer?
Student services organisations run canteens and halls of residence, advise on financing and social matters, and often also run the BAföG office that processes your application. Depending on the location, further services are added. What exactly your student services organisation offers is listed on its website.
What to do now
- Check whether your university offers the Germany semester ticket, and keep the proof ready.
- Clarify with your health insurance fund whether you remain family-insured or switch to student health insurance, and keep the age limits of 25 and 30 in mind.
- If you receive BAföG, apply for exemption from the broadcasting fee and check whether you are eligible for the study start grant.
- Keep receipts and payslips, and file a tax return if wage tax was withheld.
- Compare student discounts with the market price before you order.
If you want to talk through your student health insurance, you will find the way to advice on the Academycon homepage.
You can find reviews of us on ProvenExpert, Trustlocal and Trustindex. Academycon was mentioned, among other places, in a report in VersicherungsJournal (German trade magazine). An overview of all mentions is on the press page.
Sources
- German Student Services Organisation, study start grant (retrieved October 2026)
- Beitragsservice, information for students (retrieved October 2026)
- Gesetze im Internet, section 10 SGB V on family insurance
- GKV-Spitzenverband, fact sheet on contribution parameters (as of 1 January 2026)
- Gesetze im Internet, section 66 EStG on child benefit
Related articles
- Budget planning during studies (in German)
- Tax benefits during studies (in German)
- Part-time job during studies (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
