Overview

The information presented focuses on fees and support in public or government-dependent private higher education institutions, and covers:

• Fee policies applied per education cycle and student category, including eligibilityrequirements, differentiation and exemptions;
• Types of direct financial support - grants and loans
• Types of indirect financial support available as tax benefits and family allowances.

Student fees and financial support systems are important instruments of national policies in higher education as they play a role in supporting access and can also have an impact on student progression and completion rates. In European countries a variety of policy approaches are applied, and the interaction of fees charged to some or all students, and financial support provided in different forms to some, or all students makes comparison at European level a complex matter.

Support measures are able to alleviate financial obstacles to study, while fees could impose a more or less significant financial burden to students and their families. One of the challenges for national authorities is to find sustainable solutions for financing higher education, while guaranteeing that students of diverse backgrounds have the necessary conditions to access, study and succeed in higher education. While national authorities have full competence over policies on fees and support, at European level the concern is to ‘make higher education affordable for all students, foster access to and provide opportunities for success in higher education[1].”

In some education systems the enforcement of the applicable fee policies is implemented at national level, while in others the decision is left at the discretion of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). While in some education systems no fee policy is applied, in others, higher education studies entail substantial costs. Student fees may comprise variety of costs including, administrative fees (registration, administration, and examination fees) and/or tuition fees. Varying proportions offee-paying students in European higher education reflect different fee policies related to amount and purpose of fees, waivers, length of studies, academic performance, education cycle and field of study. In the systems where all or some students pay fees, the amounts may be differentiated based on the education cycle, the type or status of students.

In all European systems there is at least one form of direct financial support available to students. While grants are available in the vast majority of education systems, loans are available to a lesser extent. Combined financial support of grants and loans is available in a limited number of education systems.

The use of indirect financial support in the form of tax incentives and/or family allowances varies significantly between countries. In some education systems indirect financial support may be offered in other forms such as transport, accommodation or other incentives.

[1]Rome Ministerial Communiqué 2020