University of St. Gallen: Equal tuition fees for all Ph​.​D. students

Tuition fees at the University of St. Gallen are not equal for all Ph.D. students: Nationality determines the amount. Swiss nationals currently have to pay only 629 CHF per semester, whereas foreign nationals are forced to pay 1079 CHF per semester. (https://www.unisg.ch/en/studium/informationsangebote/gebuehren

Only 26.1 % of the 2019 Ph.D. survey participants considered the above mentioned fees as appropriate, which is no surprise. Not only are the tuition fees among the highest in Switzerland, but the discrepancy between Swiss students and foreigners is also among the highest.

Remedying this financial injustice is of vital importance, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, when international students are charged with almost double fees, for reasons that are not transparent at all, the multicultural image of the university is jeopardized. Secondly, according to the same survey, 35.1% of Ph.D. students do not work at the university. That means, in effect, that a significant portion could potentially be unemployed, or working in a foreign country with much lower wages. The university should focus on aiding students that do not have daily contact with their supervisor and colleagues, instead of imposing further obstacles. Lastly, regardless of the significance of this monetary amount, equal treatment of all researchers should be a high priority. Tuition fees should be equal for all.

For the above mentioned reasons, we urge all St. Gallen students, including those at Bachelor and Master level, as well as the entire academic community worldwide, to support this petition.