About Us

Studentenwerke, in English best translated as “Student Services”, are modern and regionally-oriented service organizations which are entrusted with assisting students with their basic needs outside of their actual studies.

This social mandate includes the implementation of the Federal Education and Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetzes – BAföG), the provision of reasonably priced food services and accommodations, as well as social and cultural assistance and counselling for students.

Studentenwerke are institutions specialized for this mandate. The partnerships between institutes of higher learning and the Studentenwerke have proved to be a successful model within the system of higher learning.

The Deutsche Studentenwerk (DSW) is the voluntary umbrella organization of the 59 Studentenwerke in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The DSW serves as a communication and organizing platform for the Studentenwerke and carries out training activities for their staff.

It represents the socio-political interests of students in the public sphere and vis-à-vis the federal and federal state governments.

Deutsches Studentenwerk
Monbijouplatz 11
10178 Berlin
Tel.: 030 / 29 77 27-0
Fax: 030 / 29 77 27-99
E-Mail: dsw@studentenwerke.de
Internet: http://www.studentenwerke.de/

On the basis of the Establishment of Studentenwerke Order (Verordnung über die Errichtung von Studentenwerken) from 18 September 1990, the Studentenwerk Potsdam began its work on 01 January 1991.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam provides its services to approximately 26,000 students at five institutes of higher learning in Potsdam, Brandenburg, and Wildau.

Around 190 members of our staff, employed in our BAföG offices, dining halls and cafeterias, residence halls, counselling services, and central administration, strive to create the best possible conditions for our students. With our services, we craft to a large degree the educational experiences around our partner institutes of higher learning and thus make student life more attractive.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam is public-law corporation (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) with a mandate for self-administration.

Its organs are an administrative board (Verwaltungsrat) and an executive director (Geschäftsführer). The administrative board is comprised of six students, one representative from the public sphere, five non-student members of institutes of higher learning, one representative of the Ministry for Science, Research, and Culture (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur), and one employee of the Studentenwerk.

The administrative board makes all fundamental decisions pertaining to the Studentenwerk Potsdam.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam finances itself through its own proceeds generated from the dining facilities, cafeterias, and residence halls, subsidies from the federal state of Brandenburg, and fees paid by all students.

At the beginning of each semester, each student must pay a semester fee of 40€ to the Studentenwerk Potsdam.

In addition to funding the Studentenwerk Potsdam’s services, the semester fees serve to finance a number of services which cannot be subsidized, including fees for memberships in associations, free-time accident insurance for students, student cultural projects, the student loan association (Darlehenskasse), and emergency funds for students in emergency circumstances.

The Studentenwerk Potsdam’s Scale of Fees (Beitragsordnung) determines the payment schedule for the semester fees and regulates any exemptions from payment.

• Scale of Fees (Beitragsordnung) of the Studentenwerk Potsdam
  [download]
• Reform Act to the Brandenburg Higher Education Act (Gesetz zur Neuregelung des Hochschulrechts des Landes Brandenburg [Brandenburgisches Hochschulgesetz - BbgHG])
  [download] - the complete law (in German)
  [download] - only sent. 12 regarding Studentenwerke (in German)
• Bylaws (Satzung) of the Studentenwerk Potsdam
  [download]
• Regulations pertaining to the Studentenwerke (Studentenwerksverordnung – StWV)
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• Regulations on the Financing of the Studentenwerke in the Federal State of Brandenburg (Verordnung über die Finanzierung der Studentenwerke im Land Brandenburg)
  [download]