Free Movers – An Independent Stay Abroad Outside of the University's Exchange Programs

• you want to study at a university abroad that is not part of any exchange program with the University of Mannheim at the moment,
• you have missed the deadlines for the university exchange programs, or
• you did not receive a study place in one of the university or departmental exchange programs.

• If you do not take part in a university exchange program, but go abroad as a free mover instead, you will have to pay tuition fees at the university abroad. These can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros per semester. An overview of the tuition fees charged in different countries can be found in the country database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (only available in German). Please ask the respective university about the exact amount of tuition fees.
• It will be your responsibility to contact the university and ask about application deadlines, the application process, costs, and enrollment.
• Funding possibilities are limited. Erasmus funding for example is not available for free movers.

• Theoretically, you can choose any university abroad. However, you should make sure that it is an official higher education institution at university level and discuss your choice with your department with regard to the recognition of examinations and coursework. Students of the Business School are required to get their host university approved beforehand.
• Some partner universities of the University of Mannheim also accept free movers, others don’t. Any university abroad is free to accept or reject free movers at any time.

You should discuss the university and the courses to choose with your department in advance. The process is essentially the same as for the university exchange programs: In a Learning Agreement, you document the courses you plan to take and your department confirms the recognition of these courses for your program of study at the University of Mannheim by way of a signature. Once concluded, any changes to the Learning Agreement you would like to make must be communicated via E-Mail. When you return from abroad, you need to get a written confirmation by the International Office about your free mover status to transfer the credits from your time abroad. Please contact the study abroad advisor who is responsible for your host country about this.

Choose one or more universities that you would be interested in. First, check their websites for information specifically for free movers.

Please note: The term “free mover” is mostly used in Europe. Other regions often use different terminology, such as “fee-paying student”, “study abroad”, “non-degree seeking student”, “visiting student” or “occasional student”.

If you can’t find any information on the university’s website, please contact the respective International Office. You should inquire about the following things:

• Does the university even accept free movers?
• If yes, what is the application procedure for free movers and what are the deadlines?
• What are the costs?
• What options do free movers have in terms of course selection? It’s best to name specific departments and courses that you are interested in and ask if any special requirements or restrictions apply.

Some countries provide helpful information for foreigners wanting to study at a university there on a public website. These include for example Campus France for France, the OeAD for Austria, Study in Spain for Spain, the British Council for Great Britain or the Finish National Agency for Education for Finland.

Basic information on the educational system of many countries can be found in the country database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (only available in German).

Alternatively, you can engage a free mover placement agency.

The admission of free movers varies from university to university. There are universities that are happy to welcome free movers, while others hardly ever or never take in free movers, for example, because they lack sufficient capacity.

As a rule of thumb, chances to be accepted as a free mover are higher in countries where universities heavily rely on tuition fees for funding, such as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, and Great Britain. However, countries with low tuition fees are also worth a try.

You can improve the odds of being accepted by applying at multiple universities at the same time.

Students in a bachelor's program who will be studying at a non-European university as a free mover can apply at the International Office for the PROMOS scholarships.

Another funding option is BAföG for stays abroad, which may include subsidy for tuition fees of up to EUR 4,600.

The DAAD offers for certain destinations so called “Jahresstipendien” scholarships for stays with a duration of two semesters. But application deadlines are very early and some restrictions apply:

• For students in a bachelor's program these scholarships are only available for destinations outside Europe.
• For master's students these scholarships are available for Europe only if they are seeking a degree during their stay abroad. For overseas destinations there is no such restriction.

We are happy to advise you on your DAAD application, which requires careful preparation.

Unfortunately, free movers do not qualify for the Baden-Württemberg or the Erasmus scholarships.

As an alternative, we recommend taking out a small student loan to increase your budget.

There are a number of organizations that support free movers in finding a study place in their favorite country. For some countries, as for example Australia, it is common practice to enlist the service of a placement agency. In other countries, this practice is less common. The advisory and placement service is usually free of charge, as the agencies are funded by the universities that they are cooperating with. These are some of the free agencies:

College Contact

College Contact represents over 230 institutions in 40 countries all around the world and arranges study places for students in bachelor’s and master's programs. They provide support during the application process and give advice on funding and scholarship options (only available in German).

World of Students

World of Students is an organization that supports students in choosing and completing a semester abroad as a free mover. They work with 56 partner universities around the world, offering a very diverse selection not only overseas but also in Europe. In addition, they award scholarships, offer weekly online seminars and are a completely free service.