National Information

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OVERVIEW

In Slovakia all students pay fees.
Short cycle programmes are not available.
Fee differentiation is applied based on the type of programme.
Waivers and reductions are applied.
Direct financial support is available in the form of grants and loans which can be combined.
Indirect financial support is available in the form of tax benefits for students' parents, and family allowances. The age limit applied is 25 years.

Academic year
Type of support

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Minimum, maximum, and most common annual fee amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students

FEES

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may require students to pay fees related to their studies. The determination of the amount of fees is within the self-governing authority of the public university.
HEIs may require the payment of tuition from students in first and second cycles in cases where students are: enrolled in a part-time study programme, exceed the standard duration of their studies, study two or more programmes simultaneously, or study a programme in a foreign language. The amount of tuition must not exceed the maximum annual tuition set by the Ministry of Education for the given academic year, except for tuition fees for study programmes in a foreign language, which are not limited.
The rector may reduce, waive, or defer tuition fee and other study-related fee payment deadlines, taking into consideration the student's academic performance, social and health situation, or other circumstances worthy of special consideration.
Programmes conducted in a foreign language bear significantly higher fees compared to programmes taught in the official state language or the language of a national minority.
The maximum amount of fees is centrally regulated. The annual tuition fees for full-time study programmes must not exceed EUR 2 725.The annual tuition fees for part-time study must not exceed EUR 5 970 for the first cycle and EUR 8 830 for the second cycle.
The maximum fees for full-time students with standard performance/length of study also include the costs associated with the admission process to higher education studies and the issuance of a student ID card, which, however, only apply to first-year students.

Annual grant amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students
Type of Grants

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - GRANTS

Need-based grants are available to home full-time students. Need-based grants were most commonly awarded in the amount of EUR 2 404
Merit-based grants are available to home full and part-time students and to international full and part-time students. Merit-based grants were most commonly awarded in the amount of EUR 693.
Data on grant amounts is aggregated and includes first and second cycle grant beneficiaries.
A need-based scholarship is provided to students who have permanent residence in the Slovak Republic or to students who have been granted asylum, provided with subsidiary protection, or given temporary refuge, based on meeting the defined conditions. A student with specific needs may be awarded a need-based scholarship even after exceeding the standard length of study if this extension is due to their disability. Need-based grants were most commonly awarded with the amount of EUR 2 404 (all cycles aggregates data).
According to the Methodology for Allocating Subsidies from State Budget to Public Higher Education Institutions for 2023: "Subsidies for motivational scholarships are provided for specific purposes. The subsidy for merit-based scholarships will be allocated to higher education institutions in such a way that 10% of full-time students can receive a merit-based scholarship of EUR 500. Additionally, higher education institutions are provided with subsidies for merit-based scholarships for students in selected study fields. The subsidy is allocated so that at least 15% of students can be granted a scholarship with an average amount of EUR 1 200 in 2023."Merit-based grants were most commonly awarded with the amount of EUR 693 (all cycles aggregated data).
No age limit is applied for access to grants.

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Loans are available to home full and part-time students
To be entitled to a loan, the student must meet one of the following criteria
- be a citizen of the Slovak Republic,
- have the status of a Slovak living abroad,
- be a citizen of the European Union with the right to permanent residence in the Slovak Republic, or a family member of such a person
- be a student of a higher education institution based in the Slovak Republic if the person concerned has been granted asylum, subsidiary protection, or temporary refuge.
The share reported refers to all home loan borrowers with no distinction per education level. In the academic year 2023/24, loans were granted to 417 home students, which represents 0.44 % of public HEIs' students. Students who have been granted asylum, subsidiary protection, or temporary refuge were not provided with loans for the academic year 2023/24.

Further readings

National education systems - Slovakia, Eurydice