Student Satisfaction - Expectations and Perceptions of (non-) Tuition Fee Paying Students.

The researcher investigates how tuition fees influence student expectations, perceptions, and satisfaction in Germany by comparing views from students at private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) at two time points: the start of the first semester (Expectation Phase) and the end of the second master's semester (Perception Phase). Although there is existing research on tuition fees and student-consumerism in higher education (HE) outside Germany, the German HE market—where 88% of students attend publicly funded, tuition-free HEIs—has been less studied despite the rising enrolments at private HEIs. The researcher introduces a novel qualitative framework incorporating elements of the Better Than/Worse Than Method from Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), a two-point data collection structure, and elements of the SERVQUAL dimensions. The study focuses on private Munich Business School (MBS) and public Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), involving 12 MBS and 9 MUAS students. A total of 42 semi-structured online video interviews were conducted, and Thematic Analysis was used to compare student statements longitudinally, providing insights into their expectations and perceptions. The findings indicate that both private and public students are generally satisfied with their HEIs. However, themes such as ‘demanding value for money’ emerged among private students, highlighting student-consumerist tendencies. Tuition fees were found to significantly influence perceptions rather than expectations, suggesting that fees primarily affect how students perceive their experience, including their tolerance for mistakes. The study also identified image problems for private HEIs, with a noticeable gap between how fee-paying students perceive themselves and how they are viewed by others. Some public students perceived tuition fees as buying degrees. While both MUAS and MBS students experienced substantial restrictions on student life due to Covid, private MBS students felt the decline in quality more acutely, especially regarding advertised unique selling points (USPs) like business connections and networking opportunities.