BERLIN – University tuition fees look set to disappear in Germany after opponents in one of the last states to levy them forced a referendum.

Regional governments in seven of Germany’s 16 states started making students pay for their studies over the past decade, but all but two later dropped fees. One of those states, Lower Saxony, recently elected a new centre-left government that has pledged to scrap them.

Bavaria’s centre-right government is split on the issue. On Thursday, Bavarian officials announced that enough people signed a petition to force a referendum on the issue. Polls show a majority of people are against the fees.

Lawmakers may now beat voters to it. Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer says “tuition fees will be abolished — by the legislature or the people.”