Since 1998, all German states had introduced tuition fees for long-time students ("Langzeitstudiengebühren") of €500 up to €900 per semester. These fees are required for students who study substantially longer than the standard period of study ("Regelstudienzeit"), which is a defined number of semesters for each degree program. Even after the abolition of general tuition fees, tuition fees for long-time students remain in six states. Additionally, universities may charge tuition fees for so called non-consecutive master's degree programs, which do not build directly on a bachelor's degree, such as a Master of Business Administration.