FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

An application in written form and a tuition fee are required. The application form can be foundhereas well as in our course catalog. After processing your application you will receive your student number and a money transfer form with which you can pay the tuition fee.

Regular registration period*

• Winter semester: September 1st to October 31st.
• Summer semester: March 1st to April 30th.

*May vary depending on the academic year. For current information, see registration.

The semester fee is 150 €.

No, that is not possible. Please use our standard money transfer form. If another money transfer form or online banking is used please make sure that you copy the exact information and student number.

The student card is evidence that you have paid the tuition fee. It should be carried along at all times to show upon request. The student card is not valid for regular lectures of the Goethe-University and regional public transport.

Incoming payments are processed immediately. Upon first registration you will receive the U3L-Card directly. This can take up to two weeks. For semester re-registration you can validate your card approx. two weeks after payment.

You will not receive a new student card or acknowledgement of receipt for your payment.

If you are registered and paid the tuition fee, there is no limit to the lectures you can attend.

If not stated differently all lectures start within the first week of the semester. See Semester time table.

Overcrowding is still an unsolvable problem, especially at the start of a semester. We try to reserve large lecture halls but because of a lack of adequate lecture rooms we cannot always conform to these wishes. At the beginning a lot of students attend experimentally which is why the number of attendees decreases towards the end.

Attention! Please do not disturb ongoing lectures!

Not possible for online lectures!

If requested we can issue a certificate of attendance for individual lectures. Pre-printed forms are available at our office or as a pdf-file here (certificate of attendance). The lecturers's signature must be obtained independently.

Our introductory meeting at the beginning of each semester is public and free of charge. In addition you can attend our public series of lectures free of charge. The student card is a requirement for all other lectures.

For all lectures other than the public series of lectures you need a written permit which you can request at our U3L office.

No, you do not need any educational background to register for the U3L, though general education is an advantage. As a beginner it is advised to attend our introduction lectures where further questions will be answered.

The U3L is an independent Institution within the Goethe-University with its own curriculum for older adults who wish to engage in further education.

In addition there is the possibility to attend lectures as a guest auditor at the Goethe-University for which you need to register with the Goethe-University and pay a tuition fee. Every lecture need to be approved of from its lecturer.

Students of the U3L are not students of the Goethe-University. Therefore they are not eligible to use public transportation through a student ticket.

Parking options around the Bockenheim campus are limited. It is generally recommended to use public transportation.

The use of the underground parking garage on the Bockenheim campus is no longer possible.