Main funding principles

The principle of lifelong learning underpins the funding of adult education and training in Slovenia. The state provides public funds to create a window of learning opportunities for the adult population.

The rules and laws that specify the funding mechanisms in adult education and training are:

• Adult education Act
• Organisation and Financing of Education Act
• Public Finance Act
• Current Implementation of the Republic of Slovenia Budget for 2022 and 2023 Act,
• Rules on norms and standards for funding and provision of public service in adult education.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopts the Resolution on the National Programme of Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia. This strategic document specifies the objective and scope of funding for a specific period.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopts upon receiving the relevant opinion by the Council of experts of the Republic of Slovenia for adult education the annual programme for adult education and training. It includes objectives, priority areas, education programmes in the public interest, and the scope and type of activities. Furthermore, it itemises the scope of funds for programmes and activities in adult education.

Sources of funding

Funds for adult education and training come from the state budget, self-governing local community budget, as well as from other sources (adult education foundation, employer's funds, endowments, donations and gifts, and school fees).

State allocations

According to the standards and norms defined by the minister responsible for education and the scope of education and/or activities, the state can fund:

• investment in the public institute for adult education set up by the state
• routine and major maintenance, repair and renovation of real-estate and equipment in the public institute for adult education set up by the state
• laying on a public service according to the Adult Education Act to cover the cost of labour and expenditure on goods and services
• cost of material for operations related to the provision of the basic school programme for adults laid on the public institute set up by the state
• provision of officially recognised education programmes for adults and non-formal education programmes for adults, to cover the cost of labour and expenditure on goods and services
• pursuing of other non-public service activities to cover the cost of labour and expenditure on goods and material
• provision of other education programmes leading to a qualification, and reskilling and upskilling programmes to cover the cost of labour and expenditure on goods and services
• other aims as specified in the annual programme of adult education and training.

The scope of public funds for laid on public service, provision of adult education programmes and activities can cover only indicated cost and must not enable profits.

Allocations of local communities

Local communities can allocate funds to public organisations for:

• facilities for provision of adult education programmes and activities in public interest of the self-governing local community
• investment and major maintenance
• implementation of the annual programme of adult education and training as adopted by the local community
• cost of material for operations related to the provision of the basic school programme for adults.

Funding mechanisms

The public funding has to be transparent and in accordance with the relevant rules. The traceability of public spending is key and it is the responsibility of the Court of Audit of the Republic of Slovenia to oversee it.

The basic mechanism of allocating funds is the public call for application. Funding adult education and training of public interest is mostly provided by the state, namely from the integral budget or various other structure funds. The providers of education can be owned privately or publicly. To compete for the public funds, providers have to have the education activity registered. To offer the officially recognised programmes, the providers have to enter the relevant register at the ministry responsible for education. This is to guarantee the providers have competent staff, proper rooms, equipment, and issue officially recognised certificates.

The allocation of state budget funds to public service providers of educaiton is subject to the scope of activities and the standards and norms specified by the minister. They receive funds by the decision of the minister for each fiscal year separately.

Negotiated allocations are used for the annual programmes of the public institutes set up by the state in accordance with the Organization and Financing of Education Act. They receive funds for development, research and consultation in the adult education and learning. The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education is responsible for adult education, assisted by the National Examinations Centre, the National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training. The assignments assigned by the ministry responsible for education are evaluated according to the employee salary brackets and pricelists of services, which have been confirmed by the supervisory board of the relevant public institute. The scope of work and funds are subject to negotiations between the contracting authority and the institute.

Funds for pursuing and coordinating the nationally significant activities in adult education and training, development and promotion of adult education and training, international activities, publication activities and other can be allocated following a public call for application to communities of public organisations, associations of legal persons governed by private law, relevant organisations in the public interest, and/or associations of these if their main function is to pursue professional activity in adult education and training at the national level.

Fees paid by learners

The state-funded programmes and activities are free for adult learners, and the providers may not charge for any cost of provision. This applies to the officially recognised basic school programme for adults and activities and programmes specified by other rules and/or the annual programme (programmes for key and vocational competences 2018–2022, such as life performance training, Slovenian as the second and foreign language, initial integration of immigrants, digital literacy for adults). To calculate the amount of funds one uses the methodology of a public call for applications. Adult learners or their employers in formal and non-formal adult education programmes state-funded in part have to pay fees. If the state covers part of the expenses for the provision, the providers have to reduce the programme prices respectively. In this way, the state exercises an indirect influence on the price of the programme.

Financial support for adult learners

By law the adult learners in the officially recognised programmes of basic, vocational, upper secondary in short-cycle higher vocational education programmes have the right to health insurance under the standard agreement health care. They also have the right to other benefits and rights according to specific rules if adult learners are not in employment, registered as unemployed or if they are not in the education programmes for unemployed persons as defined by relevant rules. This all applies to adults under the age of 26 years.

So, adult learners can apply for scholarships:

• state (need-based) scholarships
• Zois (merit-based) scholarships
• scholarships for in-demand occupations
• scholarships for Slovenians abroad, or
• Ad futura scholarships

until they turn 27 years of age, and if they meet the requirements as specified by the Scholarship Act.

According to the Road Transport Act adult learners in upper secondary vocational, technical and general education programmes, and short-cycle higher vocational education can apply for subsidised tickets in public transportation, but only if they are not in education programmes according to the labour market rules.

There are no special tax relieves for adults in education.

Subsidies for private providers

Providers of adult education programmes are primarily private institutions. Funding of their operations comes from school fees, donations and/or other sources. Private institutions are autonomous in framing their business policies, charging school fees and allocating funds, and they are accountable for it. The role of the state is primarily to manage and oversee the implementation of the officially recognised education programmes that lead to officially recognised educational qualification. The Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Education and Sport has the responsibility to monitor, if their operations are in line with the relevant rules and laws.

They charge full school fees to adult learners without public financial support for education and training. The programmes providers calculate and charge fees to adult learners or their employers. The state has no saying. However, with various opportunities for partial funding of the programmes or activities, the state tries to attract them into the system and by doing so exercises a direct influence on the school fees for non-co-funded programmes.