2025

Amendment to the Higher Education Act

On 1 March 2025, a major amendment to the Higher Education Act came into force.

Among the most important sections where changes have been made are those dedicated to doctoral students and the Accreditation Bureau. The amendment: 

• sets the income level for PhD students and regulates the conditions for their scholarships. The amendment introduces the concept of "doctoral student income", which consists of the sum of the doctoral stipend and the salary or wage for work related to the dissertation. The minimum amount of the monthly doctoral study income may now not be less than the minimum monthly salary multiplied by a coefficient of 1.2 (§ 91a).
• regulates the position of the National Accreditation Bureau and strengthens its independence.

Other major changes include: 

Expanding the conditions for granting state approval to private higher education institutions. The requirements for the internal regulations of these schools are newly detailed and the conditions for payments related to studying at the HEI are elaborated.

The newly introduced voluntariness of the HEI in setting the fee for studying in a foreign language in doctoral studies and the conditions when the fee does not have to be set even in bachelor's or master's studies should be an incentive for foreign students to study at Czech HEIs. Mobility could also be supported by a grant to support various mobility programmes, which also applies to lifelong learners and school staff.

The rules for transferring between programmes of HEIs are detailed, including the obligation to recognise parts of studies, extending the time limit for fulfilling study obligations and setting fees for longer studies. According to a newly added paragraph in the section on study programmes and educational areas, the school should ensure that the learning outcomes on completion of the study programme correspond to the relevant qualification level as defined in the Framework of Qualifications for Higher Education. This will contribute to greater permeability of education systems both nationally and internationally. 

Both public and private HEIs are required to provide reasonable support measures to equalize opportunities to study at the HEI. HEIs are required to establish a point of contact to provide information about these measures.

A new section on student loans is included, or the possibility for the government to set out by regulation the purpose and conditions for the provision of consumer loan for students, which would be provided at no interest or at a rate below the market rate.

New rules have been established for delivery by the electronic information system of the university, e.g. from when a document is deemed to have been delivered.

The effect of some of the changes in the amendment has been postponed to July or September 2025.

2024

Methodological Instruction of the National Accreditation Office on the Use of Distance Education Elements

In December 2023, the National Accreditation Office issued a Methodological Guideline on the use of distance education elements in onsite study. It took into account the development of information and communication technologies, their availability, the capacity of schools to implement distance education and the experience gained during the Covid-19 pandemic. See also the relevant section on higher education for more information.

Support to Ukrainian students and scientists

Changes from 2024/2025

The exemption from nostrification fees continues to apply only to students who have enjoyed temporary protection for less than 12 months.

For details on the education of students and scientists from Ukraine with temporary protection, see Specific support for children, pupils and students in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine.

Funding

Similarly to 2023, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has announced an Invitation to apply for a grant under the Educational Policy Fund to support the study of Ukrainian students in 2024. The amount of funds earmarked for the implementation of the Invitation is CZK 200 million / EUR 8.1 M (CZK/EUR 24.68, 22 May 2024), see also Specific support for children, pupils and students in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine.

Programme of support for the development of higher education in 2024

In 2023, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports announced the Programme of support for the development of higher education in 2024. The Programme aims to contribute to fulfilling the priorities set out in the Strategic plan of the Ministry of Higher Education for the period from 2021 and the Plan for the implementation of the strategic plan for the area of higher education institutions for 2024 and related goals of individual HEIs.

The support within the Programme is realised through projects of individual HEIs. The subsidy in the total maximum amount of CZK 130 M / EUR 5.12 M (CZK/EUR = 25.45, 31 July 2024) is allocated to individual HEIs; a maximum allocation is pre-determined for each HEI. Each HEI submits one project, where all the planned activities are described.

The priority areas include:

• Strategic management of higher education institutions
• Cybersecurity, digitalisation, and modernisation of information systems
• Support of the development of the quality of education activity through support measures, evaluation and remuneration of pedagogical activity of academic staff and development of tools for ensuring quality
• Implementation and further development of an effective system of psychological counselling and study counselling
• Strengthening ethical principles in higher education environment, including measures against discrimination towards various groups and sexual harassment, increasing awareness of gender issues among students, academic staff and management of HEIs
• Support of entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurship skills of students and higher education staff
• Support of teaching in the so-called small, strategically and geopolitically significant study programmes
• Organising festivals, shows, exhibitions and other similar events of extraordinary character
• Further activities in line with the strategic plan of the given HEI and the Ministry.

Together with the Programme of Support for the Development of Higher Education in 2024 a document aimed at Preparation for the implementation of the reform of doctoral study and Strategy for human resources management for 2024-2025 was announced. It aims to set out the first steps for the implementation of the amendment to the Higher Education Act and the Government Regulation of standards in doctoral education. The Strategy for human resources management aims to develop the work climate in relation to HR and establish a personnel policy of HR.

National Recovery Plan - Transformation of higher education institutions

Transformation of higher education institutions follows the developments on the labour market. The funds from National Recovery Plan will contribute to: 

• The transition to digital forms of education, increasing the proportion of combined and distance study at public HEIs.
• The creation of new professionally oriented study programmes and programmes in progressive fields of study oriented at digital technologies, modern technologies and engineering, quality of environment, waste management, energetics, civil engineering, landscape planning, innovation in the area of mobility or in health and social care.
• Increasing the competence of academic staff in the area of information technology use and innovative approaches in education.
• Support of public HEIs in creating their medium-term and long-term strategies in the area of green skills and creating strategic ties with third parties important to the new or revised study programmes.

2023

Support to Ukrainian students and scientists 2023

The amendment to the Act No. 67/2022  of January 2023 extended the validity of all measures for applicants/students who have been granted temporary protection until August 2024, for more on the measures, see also the year 2022 – support to Ukrainian students.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has once again expressed its support for the study of Ukrainian students at Czech public higher education institutions (HEIs) by announcing the Podnět k předkládání žádostí v rámci Fondu vzdělávací politiky na podporu studia ukrajinských studentů v roce 2023 (Invitation to Submit Applications under the Educational Policy Fund to Support the Study of Ukrainian Students in 2023) . The total allocation is CZK 200 million / EUR 8.17 M (CZK/EUR = 24.47, 8 September 2023). There are maximum allocations for each public HEI, based on the amount received by the institution in 2022 and the number of students with refugee status at the institution. Again, this is to support students who cannot or are now afraid to study in Ukraine.

Measures to support Ukrainian scientists continue in 2023. For more, see the same section from 2022.

From September 2023, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports continues to support language education for foreigners – Ukrainian migrants with a tolerance visa or temporary protection in the Czech Republic through courses at public higher education institutions (HEIs). Public HEIs can apply for funding through the call "Language as a Gateway: Continuous language education for Ukrainian migrants towards their tertiary education in the Czech language" if they have provided language and vocational training for foreigners in Czech-language study programmes for at least 6 months over the last three years. The amount earmarked for this training is CZK 12 million / EUR 0.49 M (CZK/EUR = 24.47, 8 September 2023).

For information on tertiary professional schools, see Education of Ukrainian pupils in 2023/24.

Centralised Development Programme for Public HEIs in 2023

As in previous years, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports announced a Centralised Development Programme for Public HEIs for 2023 (Centralizovaný rozvojový program pro veřejné vysoké školy pro rok 2023). Its aim is to contribute to the fulfilment of priorities set out in the Strategic Plan of the Ministry for Higher Education for the Period from 2021 and the Plan for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Area of Higher Education institutions for 2023 (Plánu realizace Strategického záměru pro oblast vysokých škol pro rok 2023) and related goals of individual HEIs. The programme supports capacity sharing and networking of HEIs in Czechia; each project must be carried out in cooperation of at least two HEIs (except for project on development of guidance and counselling).

The priority topics are divided into projects with a pre-allocated subsidy in the total amount of CZK 87 million / EUR 3.7 M (CZK/EUR = 23.66, 23 March 2023) (points 1 to 5) and projects without an allocated subsidy (points 6 to 11). Some topics follow on from the previous year, topics 5 to 8 and 11 have been newly included.

Supported topics include:

1. implementing and developing an effective system of academic and psychological counselling (incl. mental health care);
2. supporting activities to achieve sustainable goals;
3. fulfilling legislative and administrative requirements;
4. organising festivals, shows, exhibitions and other similar activities;
5. supporting student activities within the framework of studies at higher education institutions (among other things, development of measures leading to greater integration of new students into HEIs’ studies, development of competences and professional skills of student representatives in HEIs’ bodies, raising awareness of academic self-governance);
6. developing methods for evaluating the quality of educational activities of academic staff;
7. supporting the development of activities of Internal Evaluation Board at HEIs without institutional accreditation;
8. developing the recognition of the results of previous non-formal education in standard studies (especially with regard to the recognition of volunteer or humanitarian activities of students);
9. strengthening ethical principles in the environment of HEIs (including measures protecting from the discrimination against various groups of people and the sexual harassment; increasing the relevance of awareness of gender issues among students and employees and the management of higher education institutions);
10. teaching in so-called small, strategically and geopolitically important study programmes/fields;

11. increasing cyber security of digital environment.

     

2023 Update of the National Recovery Plan
 

In 2023, the government and the European Commission approved an updated National Renewal Plan to help with the overall energy transformation (a new seventh pillar of REPowerEU was introduced), but in addition, it also includes priorities of the current government, such as addressing housing affordability and digitalization of the public administration. Supported activities also cover higher education, research and development. Compared to the original NRP with an allocation of CZK 179 billion / EUR 7.03 billion, the budget has increased by another CZK 50 billion / EUR 1.96 billion (CZK/EUR = 25.45, 31 July 2024). . The funds for the implementation of the NRP will be provided to the Czech Republic during 2021-2026. For more details on the NRP, see the Update of the National Recovery Plan in 2023.