Use the Comfort Start and begin today – or on your preferred starting date – as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in). You can easily submit your documents in parallel to become an enrolled student.
Access all learning materials & receive a free iPad
Your Comfort Start: Begin easily and right away, organise the rest later.
The Comfort Start gives you the chance to dive straight into learning, without getting caught up in paperwork. It’s perfect if you already know exactly what you want to study.
Here’s how you benefit with Comfort Start:
You start as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in)—either immediately (from today) or on your preferred starting date.
You have full access to all your learning materials and receive your free iPad.
You can conveniently submit your documents in parallel
Once we’ve successfully checked your documents, you gain full student status and the chance to take exams.
This is how you stay flexible:
You start with your trial month and can test us for free for one month. You only pay fees if you decide to continue.
As an Auditor (Gasthörer:in) you can cancel on a monthly basis.
Your status as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in) lasts for up to 12 months, with the option to extend.
A special benefit: All fees you pay as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in) will count towards your degree later. So, you’re investing in your graduation from day one—and your total study costs stay the same.
Your Comfort Start: Here’s how it works.
Step 1
Apply online
Choose your study model, degree programme, and Comfort Start, to start as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in).
Start immediately (or on your chosen date): You get instant access to course materials, IU services, and your free iPad. ou can only take exams once you have switched to student status.
Step 3
Submit documents
Send us your documents in parallel. We’re happy to support you and will check your documents as quickly as possible so you can enrol successfully.
Step 4
Gain full student status
Once enrolled, you receive your official student status — and you can now take exams and earn ECTS credits.
Start richt away & try it our for 1 month — no strings attached*
Use Comfort Start and begin today—or on your preferred starting date — as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in). You can submit your documents in parallel, whenever suits you.
With Comfort Start, you get access to myCampus—the central platform for learning. Here you can
manage your courses,
access all learning materials,
book Study Coaching appointments,
and use further IU services.
Comfort Start and Classic Start compared.
The Comfort Start allows you to begin learning comfortably and directly, while the Classic Start requires all your documents to be submitted before you can get going. The overview below shows you at a glance the differences and advantages of both options:
Comfort Start
Classic Start
Start date
Possible from today
Earliest possible in 10 days
Documents
Can be submitted in parellel
Must be submitted in advance
Learning content & iPad
Available immediately
Available after document check and enrollment
Exams
Available after document check and enrollment
Available from the start date
Status
At the start: Auditor (Gasthörer:in) After enrolment: Enrolled student
At the start: Enrolled student
Fees
At the start: Fees due
After enrollment: Settlement with tuition fees at the end of the program
At the start: Fees due
Make the most of your trial month.
With Comfort Start, you gain a real advantage with our trial month: you can try us out for one month with no obligations—no need to sort out your documents first. Fees for this period only apply if you choose to continue with us.
Do you need help with your decision? Your personal study advisor is happy to help you!
FAQ
The most important questions about Comfort Start.
Comfort Start: With Comfort Start, you can begin immediately (from today) or choose your preferred starting date flexibly. At this point, you start your learning experience as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in) – without student status and without the option to take exams. You submit your documents in parallel. As soon as your documents have been fully reviewed and your university entrance qualification (HZB) is verified, you will become an officially enrolled student.
Classic Start: With Classic Start, you select a starting date in the future—and can start in as little as 10 days. Your documents must be submitted fully and checked successfully before your studies can begin.
Comfort Start: You join as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in). This means you have instant access to your learning materials, but can’t take exams just yet. Once your documents are submitted and successfully checked, you get your official student status and can take exams.
Classic Start: Since you only begin your studies once your documents are submitted and checked, with Classic Start you start day one as a full student and can immediately register for and take exams.
As an Auditor (Gasthörer:in), you pay the regular fees for your desired study programme (depending on the chosen time model). A payment obligation therefore exists from the start of your time as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in) – however, no additional costs arise compared to the Classic Start.
After switching to student status, the fees already paid will be credited. The total cost of your subsequent studies therefore remains the same.
During your status as an Auditor (Gasthörer:in), classic financing options such as BAföG, KfW student loan, etc. cannot yet be applied for. This becomes possible as soon as you have switched to student status. If this type of financing is important to you, make sure to start with the "Classic Start" to gain immediate access to these options.
After Comfort Start you can study as a guest student for up to 12 months—with the option to extend.
As soon as you’ve submitted all your documents and they’ve been checked successfully - especially your university entrance qualification (HZB), you’ll receive full student status.
Note: If you are unsure about your university entrance qualification (HZB), we recommend choosing the Classic Start.
As an Auditor (Gasthörer:in), you can cancel on a monthly basis.
Comfort Start – flexible and convenient
You begin your learning experience straight away and submit your documents comfortably in parallel.
You have access to all learning materials but no exam access and no official student status.
Ideal if:
You want to start immediately.
Not all your documents are available yet.
You want to start learning while your enrolment is being processed.
Classic Start – traditional and secure
Your documents (including HZB) must be fully reviewed in advance. From day one, you receive student status and have access to exams.
Suitable if you:
Want to have all formalities sorted right from the start (for example, for BAföG, your employer, or other funding requirements)
Want maximum certainty about your university entrance qualification (HZB).
Request free study brochure
What you get for free
Information on study content & electives
Information on career prospects
Information on financing options
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