Next year will bring price increases for students. This was decided at a board meeting of the Dresden 'Studentenwerk' in late October. As a result, starting January 1, 2018, rents in student housing will increase by an average of 6.50 EUR due to rising maintenance costs. University dining services will also have to raise prices at the beginning of next year. In the student canteens, meal prices will rise by an average of 1.5 percent, and the surcharge for staff will increase by 5 cents. Cafeteria prices will rise by 4 percent.
In addition, the Student Services fee—which is part of the semester fee—will increase by 5.40 EUR starting in the summer semester of 2018, bringing it to 82.90 EUR. The majority of this increase is attributable to university food services, with a smaller portion going to the Psychosocial Counseling Center and Social Counseling.
The reasons for the necessary price and fee increases, particularly in the area of campus dining, include reduced revenue from semester fees due to declining student enrollment, increased operating costs (including personnel and food costs), and, above all, increased infrastructure maintenance costs. This is because, in addition to the actual production costs for food, the 'Studentenwerk' (student union) also bears the costs for maintaining, preserving, and repairing the catering infrastructure.
These costs, which the 'Studentenwerke' (student unions) incur in addition to the costs of their statutory duties, should be reimbursed by the Free State of Saxony. Although there was a significant increase in state subsidies in 2015, these are no longer sufficient. The student members, who are represented on an equal footing on the Board of Directors of the Dresden Studentenwerk, view this development with particular concern. Matthias Lüth, a student at TU Dresden and also Chair of the Board of Directors of the Dresden Studentenwerk, commented: “It is an untenable situation that students are once again being asked to foot the bill to make up for the state’s failure to implement necessary infrastructure maintenance measures. It is the state’s responsibility not only to build its own properties but also to finance their maintenance.”
Contact
Martin Richter
Executive Director, 'Studentenwerk' Dresden
Phone: 0351 4697-815
Email: martin.richter@studentenwerk-dresden.de
Dr. Heike Müller
Press Spokesperson, 'Studentenwerk' Dresden
Phone: 0351 4697-529