Home · Foundation year · FH Aachen Freshman

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The all-in foundation year at a German public university.

The official foundation year of FH Aachen, in three tracks, with one fee that already covers your campus room and insurance. No blocked account is required, and our Pre-arrival scope is free on this route.

Ask about the Freshman year How it works
Duration
Oct to Jul
All-in fee
€21,500
Tracks
3 · EN or DE
On campus
300+ students
One all-in fee
€21,500
A single figure, quoted up front. During the year you pay only for food and personal costs. The visa fee is separate, as on every route.
Subject courses and intensive GermanIncluded
On-campus room in GeilenkirchenIncluded
Full insurance bundleIncluded
Books and learning materialsIncluded
No blocked account required for the Freshman year
The Freshman Campus in Geilenkirchen, near Aachen
What it is

A foundation year that opens the bachelor's.

The Freshman Program is the Studienkolleg of FH Aachen, a public university, for students whose school certificate does not yet grant direct admission. Over one year you build your subject knowledge and German and earn a recognised qualification, alongside more than 300 students on the Freshman Campus in Geilenkirchen, near Aachen.

One all-in fee

€21,500 covers courses, German classes, your campus room and insurance, quoted up front.

No blocked account

Unlike a standard German student visa, the Freshman year does not require a blocked bank account.

No German to begin

Take the maths and English entrance exam and start without a German certificate. You build German during the year.

Free Pre-arrival with us

On this partner route our full Pre-arrival scope (applications, insurance, visa support) comes at no extra cost.

A campus near three borders

Geilenkirchen is about 20 minutes by train from Aachen, where Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium meet.

Free info seminars

Online "What is the Freshman Program?" sessions run regularly, with the link sent about a week before.

The money question

Your savings stay yours.

A standard German student visa asks you to lock a large sum in a blocked account before you even arrive. The Freshman year does not.

Standard student visaA blocked account is locked before you arrive
The Freshman year€0 blocked. Your money stays with you
How the blocked account works
Three tracks

Pick by the language you study in and the field you want.

All three tracks open engineering and science. Your choice of language and subject also decides which universities you can apply to afterwards, so not every university is open to every track. Select one to compare its entrance exam, fields, final exam and destinations.

EN→DEStarts in English

English to German Track

Start in English while learning German intensively, then continue into a pre-selected engineering bachelor's taught in German.

Entrance examMaths and English. No German needed to begin.
Fields of studyEngineering and science only (T)
Final examThe Freshman internal exam
You study after atFH Aachen, University of Duisburg-Essen or FH Dortmund, pre-selected. Duisburg-Essen teaches in English in year 1.
Universities you can apply to Three pre-selected engineering universities, set in advance
FH AachenEngineering bachelor's, taught in German
University of Duisburg-EssenEngineering, English in year 1 then German
FH DortmundEngineering bachelor's, taught in German
ENAll in English

English Track FeP

Study your whole Freshman year in English, then continue into an English-taught bachelor's in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Entrance examMaths and English
Fields of studyEngineering (T) or Business and Economics (W)
Final examFeststellungsprüfung in English
You study afterAny English-taught bachelor's in NRW. W-course students have a guaranteed option in Business Administration with Informatics at FH Südwestfalen.
Universities you can apply to English-taught bachelor's in NRW only
FH SüdwestfalenGuaranteed W-course place: Business Administration with Informatics
Any English-taught bachelor's in NRWEngineering or business programmes across the state, we help you apply
DEAll in German

German Track FeP

For students who already have German (B1 at 90% or B2). Study every subject in German and qualify for the widest range of programmes across Germany.

Entrance examMaths and German (B1 at 90% or B2)
Fields of studyEngineering (T), Business (W), and Medicine, Psychology and Biology (M)
Final examFeststellungsprüfung in German
You study afterUniversities across Germany. This is the only track that opens medicine, psychology and biology.
Universities you can apply to The widest reach, every subject studied in German
Universities across GermanyNot limited to NRW, the broadest choice of programmes
Medicine, psychology and biologyThe only track that opens these subjects

The three tracks at a glance.

Track Language of study Fields Final exam
EN→DEEnglish to German TrackEnglish, then GermanEngineering & science (T)Freshman internal exam
ENEnglish Track FePEnglishEngineering (T) or Business (W)FSP in English
DEGerman Track FePGerman (B1 at 90% or B2)Engineering, Business, Medicine, Psychology, BiologyFSP in German

New for 2026/2027

New guaranteed-admission options: Industrial Engineering (Sustainable Energy Systems) and Biotechnology at FH Aachen, and Information Technology at FH Dortmund.

The journey

From application to a German university.

One academic year, October to July, between your application and your bachelor's place.

  1. 01
    Step 01 · Before arrival

    Apply and pass the entrance exam

    We handle your portal application end to end and set Laghbani Consulting as your agency. You sit the maths and English or German entrance exam, so no separate TOEFL, IELTS or German certificate is needed.

  2. 02
    Step 02 · From August

    Start German online, from home

    Many students begin intensive German online in August or September, before arriving, for a head start on the year.

  3. 03
    Step 03 · October to July

    The Freshman year on campus

    Two semesters on the Freshman campus in Geilenkirchen: subject courses in your track, intensive German, and full on-campus support.

  4. 04
    Step 04 · End of year

    Pass the final exam

    Sit the Freshman internal exam, or the Feststellungsprüfung on the German track. Passing is what opens your university place.

  5. 05
    Step 05 · Admission

    Into your bachelor's

    Continue directly into your pre-selected bachelor's at FH Aachen or a partner university, and start your degree.

What the fee includes

€21,500, and here is what sits inside it.

Twelve things you do not pay for separately, all inside the one figure.

Everything below sits inside the one €21,500 fee, not billed separately.

In the one €21,500 feeStatus
Subject-related coursesIncluded
Intensive German language classesIncluded
Books and learning materialsIncluded
On-campus accommodation in GeilenkirchenIncluded
Engineering internship (English to German Track)Included
Extra tutorials and academic supportIncluded
Health, travel, liability and accident insuranceIncluded
Residence-permit supportIncluded
Pickup at Düsseldorf airport on arrivalIncluded
Free public transport across NRWIncluded
FH Aachen student ID cardIncluded
Soft-skills workshops, sports and excursionsIncluded

Scholarships are not offered, apart from a one-time award for a few of the best students at the end of the programme.

Key dates

The 2026/2027 calendar.

MilestoneDate
Final information seminarMon, 1 June 2026, 2:00 pm
Registration deadline (entrance exam)Thu, 11 June 2026
Final online entrance examThu, 2 July 2026
Application deadline via TestASWed, 15 July 2026
Online German pre-course (EN to DE track)Aug to Sep 2026
Programme starts on campusOctober 2026
Programme endsJuly 2027

Seminar and exam times are in German time. We confirm the live dates before your intake.

Life on campus

The Freshman Campus sits on the edge of Geilenkirchen, about a 20-minute train ride from Aachen. Shops are within walking distance, and Cologne and Düsseldorf are reachable at no extra cost with the semester transport ticket.

The year includes soft-skills workshops, music, sports, excursions and an on-campus support team.

After the programme

The team guides you through your university applications and prepares you for life in Germany. A bachelor's typically takes three to three and a half years.

While enrolled you may work part-time, and after graduating you can stay up to 18 months to find a job.

Apply via Laghbani Consulting

We register and apply you. You focus on the year.

Because this is a partner route, our Pre-arrival scope comes free. We make sure your application is assigned to us so nothing falls between the gaps.

  • Check your fitWe confirm the Freshman route suits your qualification and pick the right track for your goal.
  • Apply and registerWe complete the portal application, set us as your agency and prepare you for the entrance exam.
  • Visa, free Pre-arrivalApplications, insurance and visa support are on us on this route, with no blocked account needed.
  • Into the bachelor'sFinish the year and continue into your degree at FH Aachen or a partner university.
The simplest route in

Is the Freshman year your fastest way in?

Foundation Year €599
  • An entry year that needs no German to begin
  • One all-in fee, room and insurance included
  • No blocked account for the Freshman year
  • Our Pre-arrival scope at no extra cost
Apply with the Foundation Year package

Apply through us on the Foundation Year package (Studienkolleg, €599), guided from documents to your admission letter.

Questions

The Freshman year, answered.

Do I need German to start?

No. For the English to German Track and the English Track FeP, the entrance exam is maths and English, and you build German during the year. Only the German Track FeP asks for German to begin (B1 at 90% or B2).

Is a blocked account required?

Not for the Freshman year. Unlike a standard German student visa, this route does not require a blocked bank account, and the €21,500 fee already covers your room and insurance.

What exam do I take at the end?

It depends on your track. The English to German Track ends in the Freshman internal exam, while the English and German FeP tracks end in the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP), in English or German.

Which universities can I go on to?

From the English to German Track, a pre-selected place at FH Aachen, the University of Duisburg-Essen or FH Dortmund. The English Track FeP opens any English-taught bachelor's in NRW. The German Track FeP opens universities across Germany, including medicine, psychology and biology.

Recommended route

Let's see if the Freshman year is your fastest way in.

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