Semester fees at paderborn university (2023)
Dear students,
in the last article, we informed you about the current situation regarding the 49 € – ticket in relation to the semester ticket. Today we want to talk about the total semester fees, because many of you will certainly have noticed: With 348,54 € for the upcoming summer semester, we are significantly above the previous fee of 327,34 €. So where does the money go?
Of the nearly € 350, € 12.50 is the so-called general AStA fee. This has remained constant over the last few semesters and finances the entire student self-administration, e.g. the student councils, the AStA staff, cultural AStA events and generally everything that the AStA does.
A further € 2.15 of the contribution is earmarked in the summer semester for the AStA Kulturticket, which was introduced in this winter semester. With this culture ticket all students of the University of Paderborn can visit various cultural institutions in the district of Paderborn for free, for example all museums and theaters, but also the SC Paderborn or the Uni Baskets Paderborn. Here you can find out exactly which institutions are included and which conditions apply.
Now we come to the biggest contributor to the semester fees: the semester ticket. In principle, the semester ticket is divided into two parts: There is a distinction between the regional and the NRW semester ticket. The regional semester ticket includes all routes and transport companies in and around Paderborn, for example the VPH for the buses in Paderborn or the NWB for some regional trains. In total, we have contracts with 7 transport companies for the regional semester ticket, which takes a total of €176,49 of the semester fees. This regional semester ticket is the prerequisite for the NRW semester ticket, i.e. the upgrade to the whole of NRW, which costs an additional €59.40. This is why the semester ticket costs differently at each university: the prices of the regional semester ticket vary greatly.
In Paderborn, we have a total price of €235.89 for the semester ticket for the coming summer semester, which is €3.22 more expensive than this winter semester. We are of course aware that there is still room for improvement here: Taking bicycles or people on the weekend, discounting the ticket or possibly upgrading to the 49 € – ticket. We have been negotiating with the transport companies for a long time in this regard, but unfortunately the whole thing is a very long process. Furthermore, we even cancelled the semester ticket once to be able to negotiate better. Rest assured: We will always work for the best conditions!
You can find information about the scope here.
Last but not least, we have the social contribution of the Studierendenwerk. This is the biggest price driver this semester, because it will increase from €81.43 to €98.00 in the coming summer semester and includes the operation of the dining halls and dormitories, the subsidy of the courts and much more. What exactly and why the contribution increases for the summer semester, you can find out on the Instagram channel of the Studierendenwerk.
Hopefully this post was able to give you a little insight into the pricing structure of the semester fee here at UPB. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by mail!
The semester ticket and the 49-Euro-Ticket (as of 02.02.2023)
Dear students,
With the third relief package, the German government has also decided on the 49-Euro-Ticket (or the Deutschlandticket). Justifiably, all students are now asking themselves what will happen to their semester tickets. This semester, our semester ticket costs the equivalent of about € 38.50 per month, so the 49-Euro-Ticket is not far off. According to the Deutsche Bahn, an upgrade model of the semester ticket to the 49-Euro-Ticket and a nationwide solidarity model are currently being discussed, but the design and implementation is still completely open. One thing is clear: We as AStA continue to advocate for the best possible conditions for students and have thus demanded a 129 € education ticket together with all other ASten in NRW.
Unfortunately, we do not have more information ourselves at the moment, but we will of course inform you as soon as there is any progress.
Tree planting campaign Campuswald in Haxtergrund
The first trees for the campus forest in the Haxtergrund forest park have been planted. Regular care is needed to ensure that they grow and thrive. In addition, more tree plants are waiting to be brought into the forest soil. Therefore, the initiators of the Healthy University at the University of Paderborn, the University Sports and the AStA Paderborn invite to four tree planting mornings. Previous knowledge is not necessary.
The tree planting activities take place in small groups with a maximum of 20 people. Planting will take place on February 9 and 23, as well as on March 9 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., weather permitting.
Meeting place is the Café Waldklang Haxtergrund. Shortly before the event, all registered participants will receive an email with all information, as the event is highly weather dependent.
If you want to participate, please register here.
We are looking forward to you and your support!
"Abo-Aktion" also applies to the semester ticket
The nationwide 9-Euro-Ticket campaign ended by the end of august, but even after that Deutsche Bahn wants to make it easier to use local transport.
On certain days each semester ticket allows you to take
➡️ one additional person (adult or child) and up to three children
or
➡️ one person (adult or child) and up to two bicycles with you throughout NRW for the whole day and at no extra charge.
This transportation regulation with your semester ticket is valid in the whole of NRW at the following times:
🔻On all weekends during the promotion period, from 3 a.m. Saturdays to 3 a.m. Mondays (Nov. 5-6, Nov. 12-13, Nov. 19-20, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 3-4, Dec. 10-11, Dec. 17-18, Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31).
🔻On public holidays: Boxing Day (December 26).
🔻During the entire NRW Christmas vacations until the end of the year (December 23 to 31).
❗During the remaining Christmas holidays in January 2023, the promotion will no longer apply❗.
During the above-mentioned periods, the special offer is valid the whole day on all buses, trains and 2nd class local trains (RegionalExpress, RegionalBahn and S-Bahn lines) throughout NRW.
Please note that this promotion does not apply to our route extensions to Kassel, Göttingen and Hannover. The exact area of validity can be viewed here.
You can find more information about the special promotion here.
We wish you a safe journey! 🚂
P.S.: Unfortunately, the employees of the Deutsche Bahn are not all sufficiently informed and sometimes impose penalties if you take advantage of this action with your semester ticket. In such a case, please show this document that we received from Deutsche Bahn.
We have also asked you to inform the staff again so that you can use the promotion without any problems.
If you have been/will be fined, please send us an email with a photo of the fine receipt and your semester ticket as a PDF. We will then take care that the fee is dropped. Basically you should always appeal and not pay!
University Elections 2022
From July 4-7, you will once again have the opportunity to help determine the future of your university in the online university elections by voting for who will represent you in the following bodies:
The Student Parliament (StuPa) is the highest decision-making body of the student body and elects and controls the General Student Committee (AStA), which is your direct representation. The StuPa decides on issues that affect the entire student body.
The Fachschaftsräte and Fachschaftsvertretungen are your direct representatives when it comes to the courses of study. They work to make them better and more student-friendly.
In the Senate, students work with professors, academic and non-academic staff, and the University President on the direction of the University. In the Faculty Councils, students work with the Dean's Office on the direction of the faculty.
In all of these bodies, a strong student voice is important. Therefore, it is even more important that you vote. All voters will have the opportunity to win a raffle with ten 20 € vouchers for the Mensa. If a voter turnout of 20% is reached, we would like to celebrate this with you and donate 200 liters of free beer in the Grill|Café on the evening of the last election day!
The StuPa-O-Mat and our panel discussion will help you to decide.
Click here for the election.
Information about the 9-Euro-Ticket for students
As part of the relief package, the German government has announced the 9-Euro-Ticket, which will make it possible to use public transportation throughout Germany at a price of 9 euros in the months of June, July and August 2022.
The good news is that the 9-euro rule also applies to the semester ticket. In the months mentioned, the price of the semester ticket will therefore be adjusted to 9 euros per calendar month and can be used throughout Germany on local public transport in 2nd class from June to August. The ticket is not valid on long-distance trains (e.g. IC, EC, ICE) and long-distance buses.
Please note that the existing rules for taking people with you (see semester ticket FAQ: “Can I take an extra person with me without them paying for a ticket?” and “Can I take my bicycle on public transit with the semester ticket?”) do not apply beyond the usual regional area.
Important for you: You do not have to apply for or buy an extra ticket, but you can use the semester ticket throughout Germany.
After close and intensive coordination with the transportation companies and the university, we are therefore pleased to inform you that the difference of 88,17 € will be refunded to you. The reimbursement by the university began at the end of August and will be made to the account from which the semester fee for the summer semester 2022 was paid. If an automatic refund is not possible in individual cases, the university will contact you for manual processing without being asked. Since this manual processing will take some time, we ask for your patience again.
General information about the 9-Euro-Ticket can be found at https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/9-euro-ticket-en.
SHK representation
The elected representation for the interests of the student assistants Sabine Gockel, Timo Heinze and Benjamin Riepegerste is the contact person for any questions concerning the employment relationship SHK at the University of Paderborn. This can be questions about the contract or vacation or difficulties as well as complaints in the employment relationship or environment.
They can advise you, refer you to the right contact person or clarify issues. You can reach them by mail or in their office hours by appointment every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in room P.1.3.36.
You can find more information here.
Ticket refund opportunity again 🌻🎫
On February 22nd and 23rd we will once again refund tickets for the AStA Summer Festival from 11 am to 2 pm. The event will take place in our AStA conference room ME U 639. You will find it if you take the lower entrance of the Mensa building (see 2nd picture), turn left and then take the 2nd door on the left. Please make sure to book an appointment here and show up on time. Please make one of the two appointments if you want to return tickets (friends can also do this for you), as there are currently no other return options planned.
Please remember your proof of 3G which you have to show at the entrance.
Thank you!
Collection of old equipment for a good cause
From 15.11. to 23.12. you can hand in old, broken or discarded cell phones (key phones & smartphones) at these collection points, among others at our AStA Service and at the AStA Stadtcampus. There are extra collection bins there for this purpose. For each cell phone collected, €1 will be donated to the "Lichtblicke" campaign. Please remember to set the devices to factory settings beforehand. If this does not happen, a certified deletion of the data on the device will be carried out. Cell phones contain plastic, glass and ceramics as well as many valuable metals that can be recycled. Therefore, go in search of your old cell phones, do something good for the environment and support the great fundraiser!
Digital proof of 3G
Since we, like many other students, were not really happy with the permanent band solution for checking the 3G proof, our responsibles Leon, Moritz and Leo have been working intensively on a digital solution and developed an app in the last weeks, which can now be shown instead of the permanent or daily band and thus allows a check without external visibility of the immunization.
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, 10.11.2021), our app "Digitaler 3G-Nachweis" can now be used instead of the wristbands to visit courses, the canteens and the library.
How does it work?
- Download the app from Google PlayStore/App Store
- Go to the accreditation tent at the main entrance next to Q
- Show 3G credentials and photo ID
- 3G service generates an individual QR code
- Scan QR code with app "Digitaler 3G-Nachweis"
-> A moving image with day-valid band color will appear in the app, which you can then show when entering the lecture hall, refectory and co.
More technical information:
An individual QR code is generated by the 3G service from the information in the official 3G proof. To do this, the 3G service uses the app "Digitaler 3G-Manager" - a more extensive version of the app with a password-protected user login. The QR code generated in this way can then be scanned with the QR code scanner of the "Digitaler 3G-Nachweis" app.
Once the QR code has been scanned, the app displays a neutral indication of the 3G status: A moving image appears with a band color that is valid for the day; the time runs every second, which prevents simple screenshot deceptions. It is not recognizable which type of 3G the detection is based on. The detection image in the app is identical in all three cases (recovered, vaccinated, tested). If the validity period of the 3G proof expires (e.g. during tests), the digital proof in the app also expires. Likewise, the digital proof can be deleted manually. Personal data is not stored. In the event of expiry, re-accreditation is necessary in order to obtain digital proof again.
For more information on the "Digitaler 3G-Nachweis" app, including download links for Android and iOS, privacy notices and system requirements, please visit the following link: https://hilfe.uni-paderborn.de/Nutzung_des_digitalen_3G-Nachweises
In order to counteract improper use of the app, it is necessary to carry out random checks. Thereby, the correctness of the digital proof is checked at the lecture halls and seminar rooms by the 3G service. In this case, the official 3G proof and a photo ID must be presented. Please make sure that you have these documents with you at all times. Random checks at lecture halls and seminar rooms will also be introduced for wearers of a permanent wristband.
The permanent wristbands will continue to be offered by the university alongside the digital solution.
A migration of the app into one of our existing apps was unfortunately not feasible for practical, data protection, technical as well as time reasons.
Below you will find a screenshot of a digital proof. The proof always shows the daily valid ribbon color - this is automatically updated every day at 0 o'clock. Since many university members will presumably use the digital proof in the future, the persons controlling the courses as well as the cafeterias and the library must also be aware of the digital proof.