StudierendenGesellschaft Witten/Herdecke e.V.

Founded in 1995 by students of Witten/Herdecke University, the StudierendenGesellschaft (SG) pioneered the "Umgekehrter Generationenvertrag" (UGV), or Income Share Agreement. This model allows students to study at the private university regardless of their financial background. Instead of taking out traditional loans, students agree to pay a percentage of their post-graduation income back to the SG for a fixed period once their earnings exceed a certain threshold. This ensures a sustainable, revolving fund where former generations of students finance the education of current and future ones, embodying the principle of generational solidarity.