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OVERVIEW

In Switzerland all students pay fees.
There is no official part-time student status. Short cycle programmes are not available.
Fee differentiation based on education cycle, field of study, student status or education programme is not applied.
Waivers or reductions are available and subject to socio-economic criteria.
Direct financial support is available in the form of grants and loans which can be combined.
Indirect financial support for students parents in the form of tax benefits (no age limit) and family allowances (age limit 25 years) is available.

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

Fees are paid by full and part-time students in all existing students categories.
Category students on non-state subsidised places does not exist.
Fee differentiation is usually not applied with fees exceptions at some universities (medicine).
Not all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) charge higher fees to international students.
Some HEIs charge higher fees to students with extended length of study, but this is not a universal policy.
HEIs are autonomous to set the fees applied. No indication for most common fee for international student fees. These range between CHF 1 400 to 10 000.
Most common fee for home students is an estimation, based on average fee.
HEIs can waive or reduce fees for social constraints, but this is only granted to a very limited number of 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 only.
No minimum amount is defined. The maximum amount corresponds to the standard defined in the Intercantonal Grant and Loan Agreement. Cantons can set higher maxima.
Most common amount is the average amount.
Indications for grant beneficiaries include those who receive grants and loans (grants only: 5.5% for first cycle, 1.3% for second cycle).
The age limit for accessibility to grants is 35 years.

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Loans are available to home full-time students in the first and second education levels.
There is no data available on the amounts.
Indications for loan borrowers include those who receive grants and loans (loan only: 0.2% for first cycle, 0.2% for second cycle; combination first cycle 0.4%, combination second cycle 0.2%)
The age limit for accessibility to loans is 35 years

Further readings

National education systems - Switzerland | Eurydice (europa.eu)

Tuition fees at Higher Education Institutions in Switzerland