Brussels, 20/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - Levels of student tuition fees, grants and loans continue to highlight stark differences across Europe EU28, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Montenegro and Turkey, according to a report published by the European Commission's Eurydice network on Friday 17 October. The report, covering 33 European countries, reveals that fee systems have remained relatively stable across the continent, despite some notable exceptions. European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou stated “Where Member States decide to introduce tuition fees, they should always have measures in place, including grants, to ensure equal access to higher education for all, especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds”.
Sharp variations in fees. The report, National student fee and support systems in European Higher Education 2014/2015, highlights a great variation in the number of students paying fees in publicly funded higher education institutions. A significant number of countries - Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Malta, Finland, Sweden, UK (Scotland), Norway and Turkey- do not charge any tuition fees. At the other end of the scale, all bachelor students pay fees in nine countries (Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, United Kingdom (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), Iceland, Liechtenstein). Estonia significantly changed its funding system in 2014, linking fees to study performance: only students who fail to stay on track with their studies (i.e. do not achieve the required number of credits each year) are charged. Fees are similarly linked to poor performance in other countries including the Czech Republic, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Poland and Slovakia.
United Kingdom, champion of high fees. The highest tuition fees in Europe are in the UK (England), following a major overhaul of its higher education system in 2012. The fees are not paid immediately, but only after graduation when students' earnings exceed a defined threshold - a unique model in Europe. Relatively high fees are paid up front by students in Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
Few students get grants. In most European countries only a minority of students receive grant support. In nine countries, all (Cyprus, Denmark, Malta, Finland) or a majority of students (Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom (Scotland), Sweden, Norway) receive grants. Iceland is the only country that offers no public grant system, although this is currently under debate. In 35 education systems (some countries have more than one system, e.g. Belgium, UK), grants are awarded on the basis of financial need to some or all students (Denmark, Finland and Sweden offer universal grants for full-time students provided that basic requirements for study performance are met); 23 systems offer grants on the basis of merit linked to an assessment of academic performance. Nearly all of these systems combine need-based and merit-based grants. Publicly subsidised student loans play a significant role in student support in around half of the countries covered. Similarly, also in around half of the countries, some aspects of support depend on overall family circumstances and are not paid directly to students but as tax benefits to parents or as family allowances. (IL)