FAQ: Increase in tuition fees

On 19 November 2025, Bern’s Cantonal Government decided to increase university tuition fees, thus implementing a political request made by the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern. Students at BFH and the University of Bern are affected by the increase.

The higher tuition fees will be implemented for the first time at the start of the autumn semester 2026/27.

The new registration fee of CHF 150 will be implemented for registrations for the spring semester 2027.

All bachelor’s and master’s students at the University of Bern and BFH are equally affected by this measure.

The higher tuition fees will apply to all those studying at BFH in the 2026/27 autumn semester. An exceptional transitional provision applies to international students who are already enrolled: those that started their degree programme at BFH before the autumn semester 2026/27 will pay fees of CHF 1,050 from the autumn semester 2026/27 onwards until the completion of the respective bachelor or master’s degree programme. If a student transfers to a different degree programme within BFH (this includes switching from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree programme), it must be determined whether the fee of CHF 2550 applies or whether the fee supplement does not apply, in the same way as for new admissions to BFH. For details see factsheet.

International students who have come to Switzerland or Liechtenstein for the purpose of studying will pay tuition fees of CHF 2550 per semester (tuition fee of CHF 850 plus tuition fee supplement of CHF 1700) from the start of the autumn semester 2026/27, following a decision by the Bernese Cantonal Government. “International students” are defined as persons who fulfil the following criteria: foreign nationality; residence permit for the purpose of studying; and parents not resident in Switzerland or Liechtenstein. The decisive factor is their status at the start of the degree programme at BFH.

The tuition fee supplement does not apply if a Swiss canton or the Principality of Liechtenstein contributes to the tuition costs in accordance with the FHV Student Personal Data Form (EDK), or if the students had their main place of residence in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when they obtained their university entrance qualification (vocational, specialised or academic baccalaureate).

This regulation applies to international students who start studying in or after autumn 2026/27. For current international students, a transitional arrangement applies until the completion of their current degree programme. For details see factsheet.

On 19 November 2025, Bern’s Cantonal Government decided to increase university tuition fees. This means BFH is implementing a cantonal government decision by increasing tuition fees. Besides the rise in fees, it has also approved a transitional arrangement for international students who began their degree programme at BFH before 2026/27.

Various financial aids are available for BFH students, such as grants, loans and other funding options. Please contact the secretariat of your degree programme.

The increase in tuition fees is not directly related to the measures of the relief package 27, which are to be discussed soon in Parliament and will not be adopted until spring 2026 at the earliest.

If you are already studying at BFH and will move on directly to another degree programme starting in autumn semester 2026/27 without a break, you will be notified by the decentralised student administration by email if the exemption applies to you. If you are resuming your studies at BFH after a break, the same rules apply as to new students.

Before new students start at BFH, they are required to complete a self-assessment, as outlined in the fees factsheet. The fee amount will only be finalised once you have completed the FHV Student Personal Data Form, submitted a valid residence permit and, based on this, it has been definitively determined whether a canton or Liechtenstein will contribute to the study costs. Should a fee adjustment become necessary once the definitive status is known, a subsequent invoice or a refund will be issued.

You will receive a request to complete the Student Personal Data Form from the BFH central student administration office. The FHV Student Personal Data Form must be submitted to the central student administration office at the time you commence your studies. If the residence permit is not yet available, submit it immediately upon receiving it.

The earlier you can submit the FHV Student Personal Data Form along with your residence permit, the sooner you will know for certain what tuition fees apply in your case. However, the Personal Data Form can only be submitted from the date on which it is requested by the central student administration office (at the earliest 20 June for the autumn semester and from 20 November for the spring semester).

In this case, tuition fees are the same as for students from Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, i.e. CHF 850 per semester.

Only by CHF 100 per semester, as for all students. Until they complete their current degree programme, all enrolled international students who started their studies before the autumn semester 2026/27 and already pay a tuition fee surcharge will continue to pay tuition fees of CHF 1050 per semester.

The new fee regulations apply if you switch to a different degree programme within BFH. As a rule, you will now have to pay tuition fees of CHF 2550 per semester, unless you are a student for whom a canton covers the costs or you have a Swiss entrance qualification for bachelor-degree level study. Provided you continue your studies without a break, the FHV Student Personal Data Form and the status at your first admission to BFH apply. If you resume your studies only after a break of six months or more, you must complete the FHV Student Personal Data Form again and your status will be reassessed.

The increase in fees does not apply to international students starting at BFH who have refugee status and have therefore been definitively assigned to a canton in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein by the State Secretariat for Migration. In this case, the fees amount to CHF 850, the tuition fee supplement does not apply, as a Swiss canton or the Principality of Liechtenstein contributes to the tuition costs in accordance with the FHV Student Personal Data Form. 

The fee amount will be reviewed in the following cases:

• When returning to BFH after a break in studies that included de-registration.
• When transferring to BFH from another university (with or without a break). This also applies if you were previously enrolled on a cooperation degree programme at one of the partner universities and are now enrolled on the same programme at BFH.
• For students already enrolled before autumn semester 2026/27, also when switching degree programmes within BFH without a break. Transferring from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree programme also counts as a change of degree programme.

In the first two cases, the FHV Student Personal Data Form has to be resubmitted; the decisive factor is your status at the start of the programme. In the third case, the amount of the fees to be paid is determined on the basis of the status according to the FHV Student Personal Data Form at the time of admission to BFH; the FHV Student Personal Data Form does not have to be filled out again, only the amount of the fees is reassessed.

Please contact the student administration office in your department.

Upon request, tuitions fees of CHF 2550 can be paid in three instalments of CHF 850 each. Please submit your application to the central Student Administration (studadmin@bfh.ch) by 31 July (for the autumn semester) or 31 January (for the spring semester), or ideally immediately after your admission to studies.

Payment in instalments is only possible for international students who have to pay the tuition fee supplement of CHF 1,700. Students who pay the regular tuition fee of CHF 850 or CHF 1,050 (international students in the transition phase) cannot apply for payment in instalments.