This process limits the pool of potential university students somewhat, much like a universal American requirement of a 25 ACT score would limit the pool of American students slightly but not to the point of exclusivity. For those who don't earn an Abitur, or for those who earn an Abitur but seek more career-oriented training, technical schools are an option. Once one gained admittance, however, things diverged even more from any parallel to the American model. First, government subsidization of the system meant the student paid a health insurance fee each semester and bought books, but tuition was essentially non-existent. Second, many students soon decided they enjoyed the student lifestyle and spent endless semesters earning a degree.
Stories abound of undergraduates spending seven years earning the equivalent of a bachelor's degree.
If one could avoid paying rent by attending the nearby university and living at home, school became a great place to hide until the job market in one's particular field solidified or one decided what to do in life. Furthermore, with the price being so right, certain fields became over-represented, hurting the earning potential of graduates and stretching the ability of the universities to teach all the students interested in those fields. A central administration was established to meter out the most sought-after slots, dictating to students and universities alike which students would be allowed to attend and which students would need to choose another major. Not surprisingly this system is slowly falling by the wayside. Last February the Bundestag decided to extend more authority to the member schools and undertook several reforms intended to shore up the sagging system that had seen a significant drop in the number of foreign applicants and had become unaffordable for a nation still attempting to forge a unified nation out of two disparate former republics.