No unity in Europe’s tuition fees
Student Walhalla
Finland’s system is famous in Europe since tuition fees do notexist and students receive a study grant for the full length oftheir study as long as they obtain sufficient credits. Also aHousing Supplement is provided that covers 80 percent of one’srent.
Finland might be most famous, but Danish universities do nothave tuition fees either and an extensive system of student grantsand loans is available for all students. Not only in Scandinaviatuition fees are non-existing. In Poland for example 70 percent ofall students pay only an administrative fee, the remainder mainlystudies part-time.
The large countries
Even between and within the largest countries large differencesexist. Europe’s frontrunner in economic growth an innovation is abargain for students. Only in Bavaria, Lower-Saxony and Hamburgstudents pay fees, but Hamburg will relinquish tuition fees thefirst of October. Also in France entrée to a university is bonmarché with 177 Euro and grants for 30 percent of the students withlowest incomes. In Italy prices are almost eight times as high andonly 10 percent receives a grant.
Students in times of crisis
Despite the economic crisis and the major budget-cuts Greekstudents do not pay fees for their Bachelor-degree. The impact ofthe 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 highestfees of Europe are charged in the UK, until 2012 they were set at£3 375 per year. As of September 2012, this level increased inEngland to a new basic tuition fee of £6 000 and a maximum of £9000.
International students
For students coming from outside the European Union, fee levelstend to be higher. They are generally set by higher educationinstitutions themselves, although in Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece,Portugal and Romania there are central-level regulations governingfee levels. Czech Republic asks regardless of one’s nationality afee of twenty Euro. Only in Norway it is cheaper to study, sinceeven for non-EU students tuition fees are non-existent.
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