Bavarian Prime Minister, Seehofer (CSU), declared that Bavaria will abolish tuition fees at all state-run universities. In January, 1.4 milion people voted in a referendum to abolish tuition fees, supported by all opposition parties in the Landtag, although Seehofer already pointed out that CSU will abolish the fee after the September elections anyway. The State Government has to decide whether to support or to reject the referendum. Following this, the Landtag has to make a decision about the proposal. If the Landtag rejects it, a plebiscite will be held in summer.

The CSU introduced tuition fees in 2007. After most other states abolished them, the new SPD-Green government in Lower Saxony had declared their intention to abolish tuition fees, Bavaria was the only one of 16 states to keep the fee. The fees were part of the coalition treaty between CSU and FDP. Now the Liberals are supporting tuition fees and threaten to leave the coalition.