A Duration Analysis of the Effects of Tuition Fees for Long-Term Students in Germany

We examine the impact of tuition fees for long-term students at the University of Konstanz. Applying duration analysis to examine how tuition fees influence when and how students finish their studies in six different majors, we find significant effects with respect to the hazard rates of the various ways of terminating one’s studies. Furthermore, we analyze how the probability of terminating one’s studies in a certain period of time changes. Students obtain a degree in a shorter period of time in two majors. In three other majors, however, we observe that the probability of obtaining a degree generally decreased.