Refund of the semester ticket

Due to the high number of applications, processing may be delayed. We ask for your understanding.

On this page you will get all information about the refund of the semester ticket. This means:

• What does refund mean?
• For what reasons can you have your semester ticket refunded? For what reasons not?
• When can you apply for a refund?
• How does the application process work?

If you want to apply for a refund of your semester ticket, please read this page carefully!

If you are a holder of free public transport tokens, you can get your information here: Refund for holders of free public transport tokens

What does refund mean?

In case of a refund, you will receive the full amount for the semester ticket back. You can find out exactly how much this is on the information page about the semester ticket: Info about the semester ticket

In the course of this, however, you also lose the rights that go with it. This means, for example, that you have to buy tickets if you want to use public transport.

Reasons for refund

Under certain conditions, you can have your semester ticket (the amount allotted to finance the student use of public transport) refunded by the AStA. You find those conditions in the Hardship Regulations (in German).

Application for refund

Here we describe the best way to apply if you are submitting the application yourself.

Note the application periods. You can find them here: All reasons for refund with explanations. If you are submitting a request, the request must be received by us at AStA during this time period. IMPORTANT: It is not sufficient to fill out the form online within the application period. The application must be received by us in the AStA within this period! Therefore, it is also not sufficient to bring the application to the post office on the last day in the application period, because the application will not arrive in time that way. It is not the postmark that counts, but when the application is received by us in the AStA.

You also have the option of issuing a power of attorney to a person you trust so that they can submit the application on your behalf. This is useful, for example, if you are abroad. You can find more information here: Application by person of trust

Step 1: Make online application

The application for a refund of the semester ticket is generally processed via our refund website (see below). Please make sure that your information is correct. Once the application has been created, the information can no longer be changed.

New ISSK students please note this: Specifics for new ISSK students

You find the forms for semester ticket refund and subsidy here.

Please note: Some of the reasons for the application and numerous details (e.g. on the assessment limit for the grant) on the page linked above are out of date. In case of doubt, the current hardship regulations always apply. In addition, since there are only digital semester tickets, no semester ticket needs to be sent along with the application.

Step 2: Sign application, attach required documents

After filling out the online form, an application is created in PDF format. This PDF file will be sent to the email address you provided in the online form. Therefore, it is important that you provide a correct email address of yours!

You have to print this PDF file and sign it originally. A digital signature (e.g. on a tablet or copying a scanned signature) is not sufficient! Such applications we can not and will not handle.

Then please attach the necessary documents to the application. A list of all reasons for refund with all important information (explanations, reason to be selected, required documents, application periods) can be found here: All reasons for refund with explanations.

Step 3: Send application to us

Send the original signed application with the required documents to the Department of Transportation. The application must be received by physical mail or fax within the respective application period at the AStA. The day on which the application is received by physical mail or fax counts. This is a cut-off deadline, an extension of the deadline for submitting and receiving the application is not possible.

Your application is not considered submitted until it reaches us at AStA. It is mandatory that we have the original signed application form.It is not sufficient to fill out the form online within the application period. The application must be received by us in the application period in the AStA! It is therefore also not sufficient to bring the application on the last day in the application period to the post office, because the application will not arrive in time so. It is not the postmark that counts, but when the application is received by us in the AStA.

Sending the application by e-mail (e.g. as a scan) is not possible! We cannot and will not handle such applications.

The further communication takes place via e-mail.

Application by person of trust

If you are abroad before the refund period begins, you can authorize a trusted person to handle the refund.

To prepare your refund during your stay abroad we recommend the following steps:

Before departure and before 1 March / 1 September:

1. Find a contact person to whom your semester documents will be sent together with your study ticket, be it roommates in your flat share, your parents or friends.
2. Please also deposit the documents proving your study-related stay with this contact person, and preferably also a power of attorney that this person may sign the request. Proof of a study-related stay can be, for example, a certificate from the Erasmus office, etc.

These steps are necessary because we need an application for reimbursement signed in original. Alternatively, you could send the signed request form by (physical!) mail. However, this will probably cost a lot of postage and take a long time. As soon as we have processed your application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that your request has been reviewed and, if applicable, that some documents may be missing. Attached to this e-mail is a pdf file with a form for subsequent submission.

After you have received the e-mail with the submission form:

1. Forward this e-mail to your contact person
2. The contact person prints out the subsequent submission form
3. The contact person sends us the printed supplementary request form by post with the receipts and the semester ticket that was deposited with them.

The subsequent submission form ensures that we can quickly match your semester ticket and vouchers with your request.

Specifics for new ISSK students

All information for new ISSK students can be found here: Refund for ISSK students.

Questions about the refund of the semester ticket

We have collected the most frequently asked questions about the refund and subsidy of the semester ticket and the answers to them here: FAQ about the refund and subsidy of the semester ticket.

If your question doesn't appear there, but you still have a general question about the refund, feel free to email us at verkehr@asta.uni-mainz.de.

We will not answer e-mail inquiries about the status of the application. See our explanation.

All reasons for refund with explanations

Here you will find all the reasons for refund with detailed explanations. In addition, you will find detailed information about which documents you need to submit your application, what the application deadlines are, etc. Please read it carefully for your application point. This makes it easier for us and for you.

You can find step-by-step instructions for the application process here: Application for refund.