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University Sues Student For Graduating Early

Posted by samzenpus on from the slow-down dept.

"A student who attended a private German economics and business university is being sued by the school because he finished his degree too quickly. Marcel Pohl finished 60 exams in 20 months, completing 11 semesters worth of work in only 3. The school says it is due an extra €3,000 for lost income because, "its fees are the total price for the studies, independent of how long the studies last." "When I got the lawsuit, I thought it couldn't be true. Performance is supposed to be worth something," Pohl said.

13 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. A bit late methinks by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they wanted to charge by the credit hour, they should have done so.

    1. Re:A bit late methinks by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not sure about Germany, but around here they charge by the credit hour for part time (typically under 12 credit hours per semester), and anything considered "full time" (12+ credits/semester) is under a flat "full time" tuition rate. However, at least at my college, we had to get special permission to take more than 18 credits per semester (15 was considered normal, but I know this varies a lot from college to college). I wanted to get my degree is four semesters, but my advisor made me do it in six (eight is the "ideal" for a four-year degree).

    2. Re:A bit late methinks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      He went to a private university, which can charge a lot more. How much you pay for education also depends on the state you're in. My state (NRW) was ruled by the anti-tuition SPD/Greens, then switched to a tuition model in 2005 under the new CDU/FDP government and then in 2010 abolished tuition again, when the SPD and the Greens returned. Still, there are some fees that are not considered tuition that you still have to pay, but that amounts to about 200 € per semester (e.g. a mandatory public transport ticket). Even tuition is usually only 250 €, 500 € or 1000 € per semester in publicly funded universities.

      Healthcare isn't free at all, it's just that health insurance is mandatory and also part of the welfare here. There are some corner cases where you can end up without healthcare at all, e.g. when you're self-employed.

    3. Re:A bit late methinks by animaal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually, this could be good.

      If I fail exams and have to repeat a year or two, I don't have to pay extra for those years?

      I bet that occurs far more often than people finishing early.

    4. Re:A bit late methinks by icebraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Apparently you can't read. I'll help you try again: "The schools says (...) "its fees are the total price for the studies, independent of how long the studies last."".

      So, someone who takes much longer to graduate should pay the same, since the fees are independent of how long the studies last.

      --
      Dilbert RSS feed
  2. why not go all the way and say for X cash you get by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    why not go all the way and say for X cash you get X degree.

    As they don't seem to care about any ones Performance just the cash.

  3. If it was legal to sue for finishing early... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, let's just say my wife would have lawyered up long ago!

  4. Business schools ... by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... what do you expect? America is infested with "business" and "management" degree-holders who don't contribute anything, don't produce anything, don't create anything, and yet have managed to worm their way into control of a substantial portion of the economy; and with schools that cater to those hoping to join their ranks. I'm not at all surprised that Germany has the same problem, or that such people turn on each other at the least opportunity. No honor among thieves.

    --
    The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    1. Re:Business schools ... by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      He wanted to bitch about America and it probably does not matter what the story is he was going to get in some America bashing.

      What I'm bashing is the business class -- the new nobility -- and their hangers-on who cluster around them in hopes that someday they might get to sit at the high table, like the illiterate thugs back in Ye Badde Olde Dayes who called themselves "knights" and slavishly followed other illiterate thugs who happened to hold titles in hopes that someday they might earn the privilege of being one of those titled thugs themselves. The forms have changed; the mindset remains exactly the same. If I use America as an example, it's because I'm American and so the American variety is the one I'm most familiar with; the point of my post is that I'm saddened but not surprised that Germany has the same problem. It is, sadly, a mindset which knows no borders.

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
  5. The Local by Corbets · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Can you please stop posting articles from the Local? As I've explained in other threads, it's a "service" that steals content without attribution from local news sources in Germany Sweden and Switzerland, summarizes it, translates it to English, and sensationalizes it, then makes money off of your page views.

    It's crap, it's misleading, and at times it's just plain wrong. Pop over to the EnglishForum.ch if you want to see what expats in the area actually think of the Local.

    As for this article, we're undoubtedly missing part of the story. Wait a few hours and see what develops once someone links a real news source.

  6. Original Article Comment by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Best comment from the original article:

    "This story really hits home because the same thing happened to me. I finished early, yet was still expected to pay the full fee. In fairness, I should point out it was with a hooker instead of a University. But it's kind of the same thing... right?"

  7. It seems to me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    that you pay a university so they can pay rent, salaries of their professors and various other expenses necessary to actually have a university. A person who completed 11 semesters of work in 3 clearly didn't sit in classes (much), thereby not expending the time of instructors nor the space in the lecture halls. As an old room mate of mine used to do in university, he probably signed up for the class and went to the instructor on the first day of class and asked for the final exam.

    I'm not sure what the university thinks they lost, aside from some obtuse reference to some sort of IP claim for the quality of the education they gave the guy, which clearly couldn't have been much, since he probably didn't attend classes.

  8. Re:Now that's stupid by SilentStaid · · Score: 5, Funny

    3) Punishing your own clients and making it public has never ammounted to a great business strategy.

    *checks Sony's stock price*

    Looks fine to me.