In the US, the cost of undergraduate education has grown to be 12 times more expensive in just one generation. College textbook prices alone have risen 1,041 percent since 1977.

So the fact that Germany offers free college to all Americans is pushing a crop of students to pack their bags and say, auf wiedersehen, suckas!

Free public university education in Germany isn’t some sort of new initiative or marketing gimmick (as Oprah might say, “You get an education! You get an education! You get an education!”). Supported by the country’s high taxes and general belief in higher education as a a governmental obligation, German universities have been free or inexpensive for their entire existence. And recently, there’s been a huge increase in the number of courses taught in English, easing the way for disheartened Americans looking for an affordable option.

In Reddit’s News community, redditors discussed an NBC News story that explored the new flock of U.S. students studying in Germany.

More than 10,000 U.S. students are presently enrolled in the country’s higher education programs, according to data from the Institute for International Education. It’s an increase of almost 9 percent compared to the previous academic year, and 25 percent more than in 2008-2009. Natasha Turner, 25, from Rochester, New York, came to Germany on an exchange program three years ago but decided to stay when she realized how “cheap it was to study here.” She is now working on her master’s degree in American Studies at the University of Bonn. “For my undergraduate studies in the United States, I needed a lot of loans,” she said. “After my studies in Germany I essentially finish with no loans at all.” Students in Germany pay a fee to cover university administrative costs and to support student unions. This “semester fee” rarely exceeds $250, and in many cases it also covers the cost of books and public transportation.

Americans who have studied in Germany attested to the strikingly low costs. This redditor wrote that the biggest expense has been the “coffees I buy on campus.”

Another redditor in Germany shared what happened when a professor tried to make students pay about $31 for a textbook.

Some wanted to know how difficult it is for non-German speakers to channel into the school system and society. This redditor shared a positive experience.

But some wrote that before students decide to book a one-way plane ticket, there are some realities to be aware of. This redditor warned that students shouldn’t expect the same campus culture seen at American universities. (Yeah, just forget all ideas of Animal House or Old School now.)

Classes can be ultra competitive and the failure rate is high. According to this redditor, many students fail early on in the semester.

Reddit user cl3ophatra lists some of the costs and risks that eager students might not be thinking of. There are many.

This redditor who is currently studying in Germany doesn’t feel welcome as an international student. There, he is “a cog that doesn’t really have a place.”

But despite the challenges, the opportunities are there for the most self-driven students.

And in the discussion, some redditors contemplated how to help American students afford college in their own country.

Read the full discussion in the original Reddit thread.