Student Walhalla
Finland's system is famous in Europe since tuition fees do not
exist and students receive a study grant for the full length of
their study as long as they obtain sufficient credits. Also a
Housing Supplement is provided that covers 80 percent of one's
rent.
Finland might be most famous, but Danish universities do not
have tuition fees either and an extensive system of student grants
and loans is available for all students. Not only in Scandinavia
tuition fees are non-existing. In Poland for example 70 percent of
all students pay only an administrative fee, the remainder mainly
studies part-time.
The large countries
Even between and within the largest countries large differences
exist. Europe's frontrunner in economic growth an innovation is a
bargain for students. Only in Bavaria, Lower-Saxony and Hamburg
students pay fees, but Hamburg will relinquish tuition fees the
first of October. Also in France entrée to a university is bon
marché with 177 Euro and grants for 30 percent of the students with
lowest incomes. In Italy prices are almost eight times as high and
only 10 percent receives a grant.
Students in times of crisis
Despite the economic crisis and the major budget-cuts Greek
students do not pay fees for their Bachelor-degree. The impact of
the Euro crisis is more visible in the level of study grants.
Solely one percent of the Greek students can still receive one.
Comparing Greece to the UK puts things in perspective. The highest
fees of Europe are charged in the UK, until 2012 they were set at
£3 375 per year. As of September 2012, this level increased in
England to a new basic tuition fee of £6 000 and a maximum of £9
000.
International students
For students coming from outside the European Union, fee levels
tend to be higher. They are generally set by higher education
institutions themselves, although in Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece,
Portugal and Romania there are central-level regulations governing
fee levels. Czech Republic asks regardless of one's nationality a
fee of twenty Euro. Only in Norway it is cheaper to study, since
even for non-EU students tuition fees are non-existent.
For the full report of the European Commission: click
here