Your Study Contract — Frequently Asked Questions

📄 The contract itself

What am I actually signing?

Your study contract has four parts, and all of them are binding:

The contract page: your degree, your start date, your tuition fee, any discounts or grants, and your chosen payment plan.
The instruction on your right of withdrawal (Widerrufsbelehrung), i.e. your 14-day cooling-off right.
The General Terms and Conditions (AGB) sections 1 to 9, covering enrollment, our services, your rights and duties, fees, and how the contract can end.
Four appendices, which are an integral part of the contract:
- Appendix 1 — a declaration required by § 57(2) of the Hessian Higher Education Act
- Appendix 2 — data protection
- Appendix 3 — terms of use for the university portal and network
- Appendix 4 — the model withdrawal form

The program name in my contract isn't quite the name I applied under. Why?

Your contract names your program exactly as it is accredited. Nothing has gone wrong; you're seeing the formal title for the first time.

The accredited name is the one that went through the accreditation procedure, the one used in your program's examination regulations, and the one that will appear on your degree certificate and transcript when you graduate. It's also the only name we're able to put in a binding document. Our accredited programs are:

Bachelor of Arts in Responsible Entrepreneurship & Management
Bachelor of Science in AI & Sustainable Technologies
Impact MBA in Sustainability, Innovation & Leadership
Master of Science in Sustainability, Innovation & Technology
Master of Arts in Applied Psychology

You may first have encountered your program described in shorter or more thematic wording, i.e. the kind that captures what you'll actually be doing. That's a description of the program, not a second version of it.

What this means for you:

✅ You applied to the right program. The curriculum, the challenges, and the focus are the ones you read about.
✅ The name in your contract is the name on your diploma, the one employers, other universities, and credential evaluators will see.
✅ Nothing about the program has changed between your application and your contract.

If the program named in your contract is a different subject area from the one you meant to study and not just different wording, stop and contact us before you sign. We'll correct it.

Appendix 1 asks me to confirm I haven't "definitively failed" a program. What does that mean?

Every state-recognized university in Germany has to ask this. Here's the background.

Under German higher education law, if you definitively fail (endgültig nicht bestanden) a required course or examination in a degree program, you lose your examination entitlement (Prüfungsanspruch) for that program, and you lose it nationwide, not just at the university where it happened. No German university may then admit you to the same kind of program. Appendix 1 is where you confirm this hasn't happened to you.

"Definitively failed" means you used up every permitted attempt at a required examination and no further resit was possible.

It does not mean:

❌ you failed an exam once, or twice, and could still have retaken it
❌ you left a program before finishing it, for any reason
❌ you were unhappy with your grades
❌ you failed something in a different subject area or a different type of program
❌ you failed at a university outside Germany (the rule applies to universities within the scope of the German Basic Law)

If you're not sure, tell us before you sign. We can look at it with you. Please don't guess: if an enrollment turns out to be based on incorrect information, we have to reverse it (section 2.1), and that's a much worse outcome than a conversation now.

🚀 Starting your studies

When does my contract take effect?

When both parties have signed it. (If you're under 18, your legal guardian signs.)

Your first installment is due one week after you sign. It secures your place in the program and counts toward your total tuition. It isn't an extra fee on top.

Is my place guaranteed as soon as I've signed?

Almost. Two conditions still have to be met, and both are in your contract:

You have to prove you meet the admission requirements before your studies start. For bachelor's programs this means your university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung). If the condition isn't met, we may withdraw from the contract. This means your enrollment is withdrawn and any tuition you've already paid is refunded in full.
The program has to reach its minimum number of participants. See below.

What happens if not enough learners join my intake?

Whether a program actually runs depends on reaching a minimum number of participants (section 1.2). If that number isn't reached, we may withdraw from the contract. If that happens:

✅ we'll send you notice at least 4 weeks before the start of the program
✅ your enrollment is withdrawn
✅ all tuition you've already paid is refunded in full
✅ no notice period applies to you, and there's no cancellation fee

We'd of course rather talk to you about moving to the next intake, but the decision is yours, and the refund is unconditional.

What if an elective challenge I wanted doesn't run?

The same logic applies at challenge level (section 2.3): elective and compulsory-elective modules need a minimum number of participants. If a particular challenge doesn't reach it, we may decide not to offer it that term and you choose a different challenge instead.

This doesn't affect your contract, your tuition, or your graduation, only which elective you take.

🚪 Leaving: withdrawal, notice periods, and exmatriculation

When exactly does my 14-day withdrawal period start?

From the conclusion of the contract: in practice, the day you sign your contract via PandaDoc. You have 14 days from that date to withdraw without giving any reason.

A few details worth knowing:

Any clear statement works (email is fine). The form in Appendix 4 is available but not mandatory.
We'll refund what you've paid within 14 days, using the same payment method you used.

Why is there a notice period at all? Can't I just cancel like a subscription?

Your study contract is not a subscription. It's a distance-learning contract governed by the German Distance Learning Protection Act (FernUSG), which sets the framework for how and when it can be ended. Those rules exist to protect learners, but they do mean fixed end dates rather than instant cancellation.

The practical point: you can always leave. What the notice period determines is only the date your contract ends, and therefore the date your tuition obligation stops.

In your first six months: the earliest possible end date is the end of month six, and you must give at least 6 weeks' notice before that date.
After your first six months: you can end the contract at any time with 3 months' notice.

Because the notice period runs forward from the day you give notice, giving notice early costs you nothing and waiting costs you months. If you're even considering leaving, talk to us.

→ See also: Can I cancel my study contract if I change my mind? and What happens to my tuition fees if I cancel?

How do I give notice?

Notice must be given in text form; email is sufficient. You don't need a signature, a letter, or postal mail. Please use our cancellation form so nothing gets lost.

What if I simply stop participating?

Stopping isn't cancelling: your contract continues and your tuition continues to be due.

There's also a consequence in the other direction: if you neither attend modules nor take assessments for at least one semester, we may terminate the contract without notice (section 6.4). You'd still owe tuition up to that end date, so this is never a cheaper route than giving notice.

Can either side end the contract early for a serious reason?

Yes. Both you and the university may terminate for good cause (wichtiger Grund) without notice, where continuing until the ordinary end date would be unreasonable in the circumstances. Proof of the good cause has to be provided on request.

One limitation to be aware of: circumstances we couldn't foresee and aren't responsible for (e.g. a lecturer's sudden illness, force majeure, and similar) do not count as good cause for you, and don't entitle you to withhold fees that are due.

The university may also terminate without notice in cases of persistent or serious breaches of the assessment regulations, terms and conditions, or university guidelines.

What is exmatriculation, and when does my contract end in that case?

Exmatriculation is the formal removal of your student status. We have both the right and the obligation to exmatriculate learners where the Hessian Higher Education Act or the examination regulations require it (section 6.7).

As a rule, your contract ends at the end of the semester in which exmatriculation takes place.
If exmatriculation follows a definitively failed assessment, the contract expires at the end of the month in which it takes place.
If you or the university terminate the contract, exmatriculation happens at the same time.

💶 Fees and payment

What does my tuition cover?

delivery of the modules (challenges) in your program
evaluation of the assessments you take
academic advising from staff and faculty
use of our technical services: the learning app, software licenses, and the online databases we provide
first issuance of study and examination records, certificates, diplomas, and official documents
participation in the mandatory assessments and challenges of your curriculum
all assessment and thesis supervision fees, and recognition of prior learning (credit transfer)

What isn't covered?

devices such as a laptop or tablet
your own phone, postage, and data costs
travel, accommodation, and meals for challenges or internships
costs of semesters or internships abroad, including tuition at other universities, unless covered by a joint-venture agreement
external events and third-party services (museum entry, library cards, and so on)
additional challenges beyond your program's curriculum
copies of documents we've already issued once

Are there costs beyond my tuition fee?

Possibly, depending on your circumstances:

€200 for a semester of leave
€500 per additional semester if you exceed the standard period of study for your program
copies of documents already issued
occasional fees for additional services you request that aren't part of the standard program (always communicated to you in advance)

What happens if a payment is late?

You're in default from the first calendar day of the relevant period if payment hasn't arrived, or if a direct debit fails.

Timely payment also matters practically: it's a prerequisite for issuing your enrollment certificate, for participating in challenges and assessments, and for issuing your final certificate or diploma. If payment is outstanding despite a written request, we set a 30-day grace period before taking further measures. If you're more than 60 days in arrears despite a reminder and no other written arrangement is in place, we may terminate the contract.

If money is tight, tell us early. Written arrangements are explicitly possible, but only if we know.

Will I get my certificate if something is still outstanding?

Your final transcript and certificate are issued once all due tuition has been paid and any items borrowed from the university have been returned.

If I finish early, do I pay less?

No. Tuition is for the program as a whole, not per semester, so completing faster than the standard period doesn't reduce the total amount (section 5.3). This is separate from cancellation, where you only owe fees up to the effective end of your contract.