View source for Tuition payments

{{Short description|Money charged for instruction by an educational institution}}
{{Hatnote|For the type of teaching and teacher, see [[Tutor]]. For tuition fees in specific countries, see [[College tuition in the United States]] and [[Tuition fees in the United Kingdom]]}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2009}}

'''Tuition payments''', usually known as '''tuition''' in [[American English]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Fast Facts |url=https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76 |access-date=3 January 2014}}</ref> and as '''tuition fees''' in [[English in the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth English]],{{citation needed|date=January 2011}} are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bodies), private spending via tuition payments are the largest revenue sources for education institutions in some countries. In most developed countries, especially countries in Scandinavia and Continental Europe, there are no or only nominal tuition fees for all forms of education, including university and other higher education.<ref name="Garritzmann">Garritzmann, Julian L., 2016. ''The Political Economy of Higher Education Finance. The Politics of Tuition Fees and Subsidies in OECD countries, 1945-2015''. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.</ref>

== Payment methods ==
Some of the methods used to pay for tuition include:
* [[Scholarship]]
* [[Bursary]]
* Company sponsorship or funding
* [[Grant (money)|Grant]]
* [[Government]] [[student loan]]
* Educational 7 (private) 

* Family (parental) money
* [[Saving]]s

== By location ==
A number of countries, such as [[South Africa]], the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]], have "up-front tuition policies".<ref name="Marcucci/Johnstone">Marcucci, Pamela N. and D. Bruce Johnstone, "Tuition Fee Policies in a Comparative Perspective: Theoretical and Political Rationales", ''Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management'', Volume 29, Number 1 (2007), pp.&nbsp;25-40. (Taylor & Francis Online, retrieved 13 March 2012)</ref> These policies generally include a tuition fee that is large enough to give parents or [[Legal guardian|guardians]] "a responsibility to cover some portion of their children’s higher education costs."<ref name="Marcucci/Johnstone"/> This responsibility can make it difficult for a low-income student to attend college without requiring a grant or one or more [[student loan|loans]].

[[College tuition in the United States]] is one of the costs of a post-[[secondary education]]. The total cost of college is called the [[cost of attendance]] (or, informally, the "sticker price") and, in addition to tuition, can include [[room and board]] and fees for facilities such as books, transportation, or commuting provided by the college.
{{Bar chart
| title         =
| bar_width     = 30
| table_width   = 30
| width_units   = em
| label_type    = Countries
| data_type     = Average university tuition fee per country in euro (data for 2019).<ref name=EDJNet />
| data_max      = 15000
| float         = right

| label1        = Croatia
| data1         = 68

| label2 = France
| data2 =260

| label3 = Albania
| data3 =318

| label4 = Macedonia
| data4 =424

| label5 = Iceland
| data5 =611

| label6 =Luxembourg
| data6 =800

| label7 =Bulgaria
| data7 =818

| label8 =Belgium
| data8 =922

| label9 =B&H
| data9 =1023

| label10 =Portugal
| data10 =1063

| label11 =Spain
| data11 =1479

| label12 =Liechtenstein
| data12 =1638

| label13 =Netherlands
| data13 =2060

| label14 =Serbia
| data14 =2186

| label15 =Italy
| data15 =2428

| label16 =Ireland
| data16 =3000

| label17 =Switzerland
| data17 =3499

| label18 =''Northern Ireland''<ref group=note name=uk>As tuition fees varies widely in the different [[countries of the United Kingdom]] they are presented both separately and together.</ref>
| data18 =4670

| label19 =Latvia
| data19 =5500

| label20 =Romania
| data20 =5917

| label21 =''Wales''<ref group=note name=uk />
| data21 =10104

| label22 =''England''<ref group=note name=uk />
| data22 =10385

|label23 =UK<ref group=note name=uk />
|data23=10385

| label24 =Lithuania
| data24 = 11750

| label25=Hungary
| data25 =14906
}}
In [[Europe]] the first cycle is free in several countries: [[Austria]], [[Cyprus]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[Malta]], [[Montenegro]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]], [[Scotland]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Sweden]], [[Turkey]].<ref name=EDJNet>{{cite news |title=If not Oxford, then what? How much is studying abroad and what will happen after Brexit |url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/If-not-Oxford-then-what-How-much-is-studying-abroad-and-what-will-happen-after-Brexit |access-date=12 July 2019 |work=BiQdata/EDJNet |date=26 June 2019}}</ref>

In [[Hungary]] the annual tuition at a public university may exceed 15,000 euros. Only 32 percent of the students pay tuition that averages 1,428 euros for a year at a 1st-degree level and 1,552 for a year at the 2nd-degree level. A student in Hungary has an opportunity to receive a scholarship of up to 3,000 euros for living expenses and nearly 4,000 euros for good grades.<ref name=EDJNet />

In [[Lithuania]] the highest tuition is nearly 12,000 euros and 37 percent of the students pay.<ref name=EDJNet />

[[Tuition fees in the United Kingdom]] were introduced in 1998, with a maximum permitted fee of £1,000. Since then, this maximum has been raised to £9,000 (more than €10,000) in most of the United Kingdom, however, only those who reach a certain salary threshold pay this fee through general taxation. The UK state pays for the poorest or low income to access a university, thus university attendance remains high. There are record levels of disadvantaged people accessing a university. Scotland and Wales have abolished tuition. There are no scholarships and the only assistance is a possible loan from the government.<ref name=EDJNet />

[[Tuition fees in France|French tuition fees]] are capped based on the level of education pursued, from 183 Euros per year for undergraduate up to 388 for doctorates. Some public universities have autonomous status, meaning that they can charge much higher tuition, and all private universities charge tuition.

In the [[Education in Germany|German education system]] almost all universities and most universities of applied sciences are funded by the state and do not charge tuition fees. In exceptional cases universities may offer courses for professionals (e.g. executive MBA programs), which may require tuition payment. Some local governments have recently decided that students from non-EU countries can be charged, although [[ERASMUS]] students, students from developing countries and other special groups are exempt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2017-05/baden-wuerttemberg-landtag-stuttgart-studiengebuehren-auslaender|title=Baden-Württemberg: Stuttgarter Landtag beschließt Studiengebühren für Ausländer|work=Die Zeit |date=3 May 2017|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilung/pid/internationale-studiengebuehren-gerecht-gestalten/|title=Internationale Studiengebühren gerecht gestalten|website=baden-wuerttemberg.de|date=14 February 2017 |access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref> In addition, some  private institutions of higher education run on a tuition-based model.

All [[Nordic countries]] provide higher education free of charge to their own citizens. The Nordic education systems are almost entirely publicly funded. In Nordic countries education is seen as a [[Civil and political rights|civil right]] and a [[public service]] rather than a commodity. The issue of education is seen in these countries as an issue of equality. This is in part because high levels of education are a benefit to the development of society, including business and industry.<ref>{{cite news |last= Välimaa |first= Jussi |date= 17 February 2015 |title= Why Finland and Norway still shun university tuition fees – even for international students |url= https://theconversation.com/why-finland-and-norway-still-shun-university-tuition-fees-even-for-international-students-36922 |work= The Conversation |access-date= 20 November 2019}}</ref>

In [[Education in Greece|Greece]] there are no tuition fees as Bachelor-level higher education and some Master-level post-graduate education is provided for free to all Hellene (Greek) citizens as a benefit of citizenship paid by taxes. Universities accept students who have excelled at high school, with the selection being done through the Panhellenic Examinations, a system of state-administered examinations. Furthermore, it is difficult for [[mature student]]s to be accepted at universities. Doctorate-level higher education is often also provided for free, but some universities may charge fees for PhD degrees. Students may resort to registering at private universities (called colleges, κολέγια), which charge tuition fees, or emigrate to other countries in order to get an education.

In Spain, [[Tuition fees in Spain|public universities fees]] are established annually by laws enacted by the governments of each [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community]], following a series of basic criteria dictated by the central government and published in the [[Boletín Oficial del Estado|Official State Gazette]].<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=Tomico |first=Mar |date=November 18, 2020 |title=Tasas universitarias: el precio de estudiar un grado en España |url=https://www.newtral.es/transparentia-tasas-universitarias-precio-grado-espana/20200918/ |access-date=March 4, 2021 |website=Newtral |language=Spanish}}</ref>

In some parts of the [[developing world]], school fees and the expenses of "free" schooling (food, books, school uniform, etc.) prevent some children from attending school and achieving more for themselves and their families.<ref>[[Christian Aid]] (2023), [https://www.christianaid.ie/sites/default/files/2023-03/caw23-daily-devotional-roi.pdf Unwavering hope: A daily devotional], accessed on 7 October 2025. Christian Aid refers to a [[Malawi]]an example</ref>

== By institution ==
[[File:TCNJ college officials making financial aid presentation to admitted students and their parents.JPG|thumb|[[The College of New Jersey]] officials give a presentation on financial aid to admitted students.]]
Tuition is charged at different rates from one type of institution to the next. Net tuition indices mark an increase in the "relative real burden" for payments at various types of institutions for higher education; in the period between 1980 and 1995; example, this burden increased by approximately 80 percent for students at [[Public university|public universities]] and by 148 percent for students at [[Private university|private universities]].<ref>Martin, Robert E., [https://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40722155?sid=21105384640211&uid=3738032&uid=4&uid=2 "Why Tuition Costs Are Rising So Quickly"], ''[[Challenge: The Magazine of Economic Affairs|Challenge]]'', Volume 45, Number 4 (2002), pp.&nbsp;88-108. (JSTOR, retrieved 13 March 2012)</ref>  More than half of public research universities charge students [[differential tuition]] based primarily on their major and their year in college, increasing normal tuition by up to 40 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.appily.com/guidance/articles/paying-for-college/hidden-costs-of-differential-tuition |title=The Hidden College Cost of Differential Tuition |last=O'Shaughnessy |first=Lynn |publisher=appily |accessdate=6 November 2023 }}</ref>  

Most students or their families who pay for tuition and other education costs do not have enough savings to pay in full while they are in school.<ref>[http://news.salliemae.com/files/doc_library/file/HowAmericaPaysforCollege2014FNL.pdf America Pays for College 2014] Sallie Mae</ref> Some students must work or borrow money to afford an education. In the United States, [[Student financial aid (United States)|student financial aid]] is available to defray the cost of a post-secondary education: "Financial aid is typically thought to exert the most influence in [attendance], when admitted students consider whether to enroll in a particular institution."<ref>DesJardins, Stephen L., "Assessing the Effects of Changing Institutional Aid Policy", ''Research in Higher Education'', Volume 42, Number 6 (2001), pp.&nbsp;653-78. (JSTOR, retrieved 13 March 2012)</ref> It is often the case that the lower the cost of the school, the more likely a student is to attend.

Developed countries have adopted a dual scheme for education; while basic (i.e. high-school) education is supported by taxes rather than tuition, higher education usually requires tuition payments or fees.

People may purchase [[tuition insurance]] to protect themselves from fees related to involuntary withdrawal (illness, death of a parent or guardian, etc.)

== History ==
[[File:College Tuition State Funding.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Study comparing college revenue per student by tuition and state funding in 2008 dollars<ref>Delta Cost Project, "[http://www.deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/Trends-in-College-Spending-98-08.pdf Trends in College Spending 1998-2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808055659/http://www.deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/Trends-in-College-Spending-98-08.pdf |date=2013-08-08 }}".</ref>]]

In [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Europe]], universities were mainly institutions of the [[Catholic Church]]. As they mainly trained clergy, most of these universities did not have any need to exact fees from the students{{citation needed|date=May 2009}} with one notable exception: during the 12th century, while under the supervision of [[Petrus Comestor|Pierre le Mangeur]], the [[University of Paris]] began collecting two [[Sou (coin)|sous]] weekly in tuition. <!--?: Their situation was comparable with the modern [[Corporate university|corporate universities]] and [[Military academy|military academies]].-->

Later, the main duty of universities in most [[Protestant]] countries was the training of future [[civil servant]]s. Again, it was not in the interest of the state to charge tuition fees, as this would have decreased the quality of civil servants. On the other hand, the number of students from the lower classes was usually kept in check by the expenses of living during the years of study, although as early as the mid-19th century there were calls for limiting the university entrance by middle-class persons.{{citation needed|date=May 2009}} A typical family, however, could not afford educating a child or young adult, even if the education itself was free.

After [[World War II]] the tuition systems of all of today's advanced democracies still were highly similar: educational institutions in all countries charged no or only very low tuition fees.<ref name="Garritzmann"/> It was not until the 1950s that the countries' education systems developed in different directions. Some countries, especially Anglophone countries (for example the United States) but also Asian countries such as Japan, introduced considerable tuition payments already in the early post-war period.<ref name="Garritzmann"/> Other countries, particularly in Scandinavia and continental Europe, in contrast remained tuition-free. These developments were unrelated to the massive educational expansion that took place at the same time.

Since the early 1970s, the average cost of tuition has steadily outpaced the growth of the average American household. This trend continued particularly under [[President Reagan]]'s higher education policies in the 1980s. Likewise, there has been a steady decrease in [[Administration of federal assistance in the United States|federal funding]] for grants and a rise in the [[interest rate]]s of most major student loans, leaving many students struggling to pay debt for years after graduation.

===College tuition for undocumented students===
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate. It would allow the estimated 50,000 to 65,000 [[undocumented students in the United States]] to gain in-state tuition as well as a path towards [[Citizenship in the United States|American citizenship]]. The Act would apply only to those students with tangible proof of residence in the United States before the age of 18. This Act has stirred debate in numerous groups, including institutions, families, and the Senate itself.

{{asof|2103|March}}, undocumented students in most States are required to pay the higher out-of-state students' tuition charged at public universities, often between [[United States dollar|$]]20,000 and $35,000 at a local public university. In addition, these students were denied federal assistance as they lacked valid [[Social Security number]]s. Because such students often come from comparatively poor families, the costs are too high to allow many undocumented students to seek university education in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://orgs.law.ucla.edu/CLLR/Documents/2003/galassi.pdf|title=Student Organizations|website=orgs.law.ucla.edu|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=40em}}
* [[College tuition in the United States]]
* [[Debt relief]]
* [[EdFund]]
* [[Free education]]
* [[Higher Education Price Index]]
* [[List of countries by spending on education as percentage of GDP]]
* [[Private university]]
* [[Public university]]
* [[Right to education]]
* [[Student debt]]
* [[Student financial aid]]
* [[Student loan]]
* [[Student loans in the United States]]
* [[Tertiary education]]
* [[Tuition fees in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Tuition freeze]]
* [[Universal access to education]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Attribution==
{{Free-content attribution
|title=  If not Oxford, then what? How much is studying abroad and what will happen after Brexit
|author = BiQdata
|publisher = EDJNet
|source=  <!-- The source of the work if not from the publisher or the author -->
|documentURL= https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/If-not-Oxford-then-what-How-much-is-studying-abroad-and-what-will-happen-after-Brexit
|license statement URL= <!-- The URL of the license statement of the work if not included within the document -->
|license= CC BY 4.0
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}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Tuition}}
{{Commons category|Tuition}}

{{Education}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Education finance]]
[[Category:Payments]]