Introduction to Tuition Fee Exemption in Health Professions

The state initiative of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia supports public institutions in the full reimbursement of tuition fees charged by state-recognized training centers in the fields of occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, as well as pharmaceutical-technical and medical-technical assistance. The aim of the funding is to attract potential trainees for health professions and to reduce financial barriers for apprentices. With a funding rate of 100%, all expenses for tuition fees can be claimed retroactively as of the cut-off date of December 31, 2017. A prerequisite for a successful application is the timely submission of the formal application as well as all required reports and amendment notifications to the responsible district government.

Funding can be applied for on February 15, June 15, and October 15 each year. The departments of the district governments in North Rhine-Westphalia are responsible for receiving and reviewing the documents. In addition to the formal application, original reports and amendment notifications must be attached to ensure the completeness and legality of the procedure. These regulations are based on the funding guideline for health professions, last amended in April 2021. State-recognized training centers that charge tuition fees thus receive reliable financial relief to expand training capacities and to meet the demand for skilled workers in the healthcare sector in the long term.