Funding

Since most continuing education programs in the formal and non-formal sectors are state-run, funding is granted through the state budget. The Ministries involved in adult education prepare budgets for the costs of the programs and submit them to the Ministry of Finance, which includes them in the national budget to be approved by the House of Representatives.

Most vocational training programs are run by semi-government organizations or private companies and they involve fees. 

Fees paid by learners

Fees in formal adult education are as follows: 

• The postgraduate programs of the Mediterranean Institute of Management (MIM) involve fees which are set at €3,425 per year;
• Attendance at the Open University of Cyprus is free of charge for Cypriot and EU citizens, while international students from out with the EU countries pay fees which are set at €1,350 per module;
• Attendance at the public evening schools is free of charge. 

Fees within non-formal adult education are as follows:

• Fees at the Adult Education Centres vary from €20 - €59 per year, except for the case of persons aged over 65 that do not pay fees;
• Fees at the State Institutes of Further Education (ΚΙΕ) range from €225.54 - €394.69 per year;

The Cyprus Academy of Public Administration (Ακαδημία Δημόσιας Διοίκησης) and the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus (Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο Κύπρου) do not charge fees for attendance at the pre-service and in-service courses offered to civil servants teachers respective

Fees within programs of vocational training are as follows:

• The Open University of Cyprus charges fees for the short courses;
• The Apprenticeship scheme does not involve fees. Quite the opposite, apprentices are paid for their work in the industry;
•  The Cyprus Productivity Centre (Κέντρο Παραγωγικότητας-CPC) charges fees which range according to the program. For example, fees for a number of technical/vocational training programs in 2011 ranged from €195.00 - €630.00 per person. However, most of the programs of the CPC are partially subsidized by the Human Resource Development Authority-HRDA;
• In-company courses and courses run by private training centers involve fees. 

Financial support for adult learners

In terms of tax incentives, all expenditure on human resource development is tax deductible in the same way that other production expenses are treated. In this way, it is estimated that about 20-25% of total human resources development expenditure in the private sector is borne by the state.

Students following the MIM Diploma course receive subsidies for fees as follows:

• The HRDA pays 80% of the total fees for participants from small-sized enterprises, 70% for participants from SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and 60% of the total fees for larger companies;
• For participants who are public servants, ten scholarships are awarded annually by the Cyprus Scholarship Board, which receives funds from the government. These scholarships amount to 50% of the total fees.

Several categories of adult learners may attend, free of charge, courses at the Adult Education Centres. These include people with special needs; Greek Cypriots who wish to learn Turkish; Turkish Cypriots who wish to learn Greek; the children of repatriated Cypriots, diaspora Greeks and foreigners; adults over the age of sixty-five; elderly people living in care homes; prisoners; and, political refugees.

The State Institutes of Further Education offer partial or full scholarships to students upon consideration of their financial situation and academic performance. Such scholarships can number up to 10% of the total student intake. In addition, the children of families with three or more children pay reduced fees.  Greek Cypriots who wish to learn Turkish and Turkish Cypriots who wish to learn Greek may attend courses free of charge.

The Open University of Cyprus offers reduced tuition or total elimination of any applicable fees to students with disabilities or many dependants. 

In addition, there exist educational leave schemes for public-sector employees in Cyprus, which offer the opportunity of both paid and unpaid leave in order to gain qualifications. The aim of these schemes is to fulfill the government’s needs and priorities for the education and training of public-sector employees. There are two types of scholarship available for paid educational leave - scholarships granted by the Government of Cyprus and scholarships granted through the Government of Cyprus by external sources.

In certain other sectors, leave of absence for education and training purposes is stated formally in the collective agreements.

Private education

Private adult education involves fees which are set by the owners of the private institutes. The fees charged range from one institute to another.