Student ID Card

You will receive your personalized student ID card during orientation events or at the latest when lectures begin. This small card is a true all-rounder and gives you access to many campus functions:

• Student ID (for example discounts)
• Cashless payment in the cafeteria, coffee bar, and at printers
• Library card for borrowing books
• Semester ticket for public transportation in the VPE network
• Identity verification (for example during exams)
• Door access (main entrances and computer rooms)
• Use of washing machines in student residences

Before first use, the card must be activated at a university printer. Place the card on the designated login area and follow the instructions. The student ID must be validated again every semester as part of re-registration. This is done at one of the two terminals in the glass rooms on the ground floor of building W1. You can also add printing credit there.

You can add credit for cashless payment in the cafeteria and coffee bar at the terminals in the entrance area of the cafeteria building or in building W1 (near the coffee machine). After meal service, only your student ID is scanned at checkout for payment.

With the Autoload function, the cafeteria card is automatically recharged at cafeteria/coffee bar checkout when credit is low. Autoload also gives you an overview of your spending. More information is available from Studierendenwerk.

Appearance of the Student ID Card

On the left, you can see the front side of the student ID in the previous design; on the right, the new design. The front shows your name, matriculation number, and photo. The lower part of the card is reserved for the validity of the semester ticket (for example “Valid until …”). The back contains the reduced design with university logo and color scheme.

Semester Ticket (Bus & Train)

You can travel free of charge by bus and train in Pforzheim and surrounding areas (fare zone area of the Verkehrsbund Pforzheim-Enzkreis - VPE). Until your student ID is issued, you can use your admission letter together with your personal ID card or passport. The ticket is valid only for you and is non-transferable. It is valid for the following period: