Amid criticism from both students and opposition politicians, Minister for Higher Education Stéphanie Obertin attempted to justify the announced doubling of tuition fees at the University of Luxembourg for the 2025 academic year.

The University of Luxembourg has announced an increase in tuition fees for 2025. As of the 2025/2026 winter semester, which begins on 15 September 2025, students will have to pay twice as much to study at Uni.lu.

Minister for Research and Higher Education Stéphanie Obertin explained the reasons behind the change in her response to a parliamentary question from MP David Wagner of the Left Party (Déi Lénk). The new fees, decided by the institution's governing board, will rise from €200 to €400 for all years of study (with the exception of the first year of the bachelor's degree, for which the fees were already €400).

Minister Obertin confirmed that she "approved this decision." The move is meant to "standardise" fees, which give students access to courses and other university services, including extracurricular activities. According to Obertin, the new fees "bring [Luxembourg] more into line with the tuition fees charged in neighbouring countries."

Based on current figures, it is estimated that the hike in fees will generate an additional €1 million in the case of enrolment fees and €375,000 in the case of application fees. Obertin noted that application fees are reimbursed for students whose applications are accepted.

The minister justified the increase by assuring that the additional funds will be used to strengthen "psychological and social support for students," develop student life, finance additional administrative resources, and "set up an educational innovation fund."

Minister Obertin also made a point of stressing that "all students are equal" and must pay the same tuition fees, whether they come from Luxembourg, another European country, or from outside of the Union.