Main funding principles
Funding of further education comes from different sources.
State budgetary organisations plan for their funding of further education of their employees directly in the budget.
The state also contributes to this financing by provision of designated subsidies, particularly for state and regional development programmes, education activities in such areas of combating drugs, for persons with disabilities and persons from socially disadvantaged background.
Other funding sources include employers’ organisations, the budget of the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family and resources of municipalities.
To a great extent, adult education is funded from European resources, mainly the resources from the European social fund and European regional development fund (SK).
Fees paid by learners
Education participants pay charges for education to the organisers (it is the rule in the case of private education institutions). Exemptions may include:
- corporate training (paid by the employer),
- staff education /training in the civil and public service (covered from the budget resources - public resources),
- education for the labour market for the registered unemployed, which is also covered from the public resources.
Trainees do not have to contribute mandatorily for the support of students’ organisations or health centres. The legislation does not impose an obligation upon the employer to provide work relief to trainees; it is at the employer’s discretion and by granting work relief he may bind an employee to stay in employment for a specified period, or else return finances that have been provided to trainees during their participation in training and for the training itself.
As of 1st January 2020, education provided to employees by their employers was further freed from the income tax which now includes any kind of education of an employee related to the employer’s activity or business. In accordance with the amendment, employees can be given benefits in the form of an allowance for education at higher education institutions, which is tax-free.
Financial support for adult learners
In further education thus far, there are no special forms of financial support for learners or any financial incentives in the Slovak Republic.
Subsidies for private providers
Private education institutions outside schools arose on the basis of the act on civil associations, the trade licensing act, etc. The Trade Licensing Act allows carrying out further education as a free business.
Private organisations are largely self-financing, charging fees for education. They can seek subsidies from public funds, such as from grants for education, staff training in state administration or for re-training courses The criteria for entitlement and the amount of financial support are stipulated by the legislation relating to the above options.
Further funding of adult education is provided from ESF (European social fund) resources based on calls, which are currently made particularly in the operation programme “Human Resources”(SK) by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, or other intermediary bodies.
Legislative references
National Council of the Slovak Republic, 2009. Act No. 568/2009 on lifelong learning and on the change and supplement to some acts as amended by subsequent provision (Zákon č. 568/2009 Z.z. o celoživotnom vzdelávaní a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov v znení neskorších predpisov) (last accessed 13/05/2019).