Germany provides tuition-free higher education to all foreign students, regardless of country of origin. The legislation was approved and in 2014 eliminated tuition fees at all public institutions in Germany. In Germany, education is seen as a right rather than a commodity that must be purchased. In Germany, there are around 300 public institutions that provide over 1000 programs. Students must, however, pay a 'Semesterbeitrag' (semester fee) or 'administrative charge', which is a minor price of roughly 300-400 EUR every semester.