Public funding

University of Luxembourg

Since 2003, the University of Luxembourg is the only state-funded Higher Education Institution in Luxembourg.

Various types of resources are available to the University, as defined by article 53 of the modified law of 27 June 2018.

They comprise:

• Movable, immovable and immaterial property provided by the State
• A yearly financial contribution by the State
• Revenue from education and research activities
• Revenue from the execution of a contract or agreement concluded with natural or legal persons
• Donations and legacies in currency and in kind (which may, under certain conditions, be deducted from income tax)
• Revenue from management and valorisation of assets and participations
• Income resulting from transfer of owner rights or from attributed licences
• Financial contributions from the National research fund (FNR; Fonds national de la recherche) or other donors
• Registration fees.

State subsidies are awarded to the University of Luxembourg in the form of a yearly grant based on multiannual contracts (contrat d’établissement pluriannuel) set up by the University for a period of four years.

The State subsidy to the University comprises:

• Basic financing
• Financing based on objectives
• Financing based on innovation.

The revised 2022-2025 multiannual contract between State and University (contrat d’établissement pluriannuel révisé entre l’État et l’Université du Luxembourg) provides for financial support corresponding to a global volume of € 908 208 000 for this period of time.

In addition to this funding, the State may also provide the University with land and buildings.

Short-cycle programmes leading to the BTS

Specific information on the funding of BTS (brevet de technicien supérieur) programmes is presently not available to the public.

Accredited BTS programmes are displayed on the dedicated BTS website.

A list of institutions is available on 'MyStudies' (MengStudien), a website of the ministry of Higher education and Research. 

Other sources of funding

The University encourages private donations in order to pursue and develop its activities. These donations are tax-deductible. External funds also contribute to supporting the academic and scientific activities as well as initiatives of general interest of the University of Luxembourg (art. 53 of the modified law of 27 June 2018).

As far as other higher education providers are concerned, accedited higher education institutions rely on their own management and sources of funding.

Financial autonomy and control

University of Luxembourg

As described above, the University can manage different kinds of resources. It has to set up annual balance sheets complying with the commercial accounting regulations. Balance sheets are proposed by the rector (recteur) and have to be approved by the board of governors (conseil de gouvernance). The State assigns an auditor who controls the University’s accounts and may be asked to carry out specific audits.

Furthermore, the rectorate (rectorat) has to establish an annual activity report and an annual report on contract fulfilment (key performance indicators) relating to the four-year contracts with the State. These documents are available online.

Finally, the minister of Higher Education and Research appoints a Government commissioner (commissaire de gouvernement) who attends the meetings of the board of governors in advisory capacity. The Government commissioner has the right to information and control over the activity of the University as well as its technical, administrative and financial management. He may suspend the decision of the board of governers when he considers that they are contrary to the laws, regulations and agreements concluded with the State

(For further explanations on the University’s governing and executive bodies, see Eurydice article 10.5 Management Staff of Higher Education.)

Secondary schools providing BTS programmes

Information on the specific funding of BTS programmes is currently not available.

Fees within public higher education

University of Luxembourg

First-cycle students pay an enrolment fee of € 400 per semester for the 1st and 2nd semesters, and € 200 each for semesters 3 to 6 (respectively 8 for the bachelor in Education sciences).

At second cycle, for most (80 %) of the master studies provided by the University of Luxembourg, students pay enrolment fees of € 200 per semester. Exceptions to this general rule are masters in Psychotherapy, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in cybersecurity, etc., where students are charged maximum fees, per semester or for a complete study programme.

Conditions are the same for part-time students and full-time students.

International students pay the same fees as national students.

BTS programmes

Enrolment fees for BTS programmes are fixed by grand-ducal Regulation (règlement grand-ducal du 21 juillet 2023). Students currently pay € 150 per semester.

Financial support for learners' families

Students in higher education are not eligible for family allowance. State financial aid is paid directly to the student.

Parents do not receive State financial aid for their children in higher education.

However, in certain cases, i.e. if the students do not benefit from State financial aid, their parents may qualify for other types of tax advantages:

• Taxpayers with a yearly taxable revenue under € 76 600 can apply for a tax reduction (modération d’impôt sous forme de dégrèvement fiscal) of up to € 922.5
• Single parents with dependent children pursuing higher education may demand a transfer to another tax class, a swich from tax class 1 (classe d’impôt 1) to the more favourable tax class 1A.

Information and detail is available online in French or German on the administrative website of the government.

Financial support for learners

State financial aid for students in higher education

The loan and scholarship system in Luxembourg allows all students, provided they fulfil the qualifying conditions, to freely pursue higher education regardless of their age or parents' financial situation or wishes.

The official web page Applying for state financial aid for students in higher education informs in English, French or German, on conditions and practical procedures to obtain State financial support for studies in higher education.

A dedicated website on the new system of financial aids for studies in higher education has also been created by the government. It includes, among other information, a calculator for students to preview their personally applicable grant and loan.

State financial aid (aide financière pour études supérieures) for students in higher education is available to resident and non-resident students (complying with eligibility requirements and not funded in their country of residence) in officially recognised higher education programmes leading to a final degree, diploma or certificate. 

Students are allocated state financial aid on a semester basis. They shall not to be combined with similar allowances of the country of residence (national, regional or communal scholarships and grants, family allowances, student housing benefits, etc.). But they may well be cumulated with other kinds of scholarships, such as international mobility grants (as Erasmus+) or grants based on personal merit.

State financial aid is allocated in the form of a grant (bourse), a loan (prêt) and an aid for enrolment fees (frais d’inscription):

• Basic grant (bourse de base): € 1 199 per academic semester for all students eligible
• Mobility grant (bourse de mobilité): € 1 491 per academic semester for students studying in a country other than their country of residence and incurring expenses for accommodation
• Social grant (bourse sur critères sociaux): € 0 to € 2 321 per semester, depending on the student’s socio-economic situation
• Family grant (bourse familiale): € 287 per semester per student that is part of a household with one or more children eligible for financial aid
• Student loan (prêt étudiant): € 3 250 per semester as a state-guaranteed loan at a maximum 2 % rate, repayable from 2 to 10 years after termination of the studies
• Aid for enrolment fees (frais d’inscription) is available up to an annual € 3 800 depending on the student’s situation. After an initial € 100 deduction, 50 % of the remaining amount will be added to the basic student grant and 50 % to the student loan.

Students who do not benefit from the social grant, or only receive part of the maximum grant available on social criteria, may choose to have their student loan increased by the amount equivalent to the social grant for which they are not eligible (€ 2 321 maximum).

Students whose total annual income exceeds the social minimum wage for unskilled workers are only entitled to financial aid in the form of a loan. With a total annual income exceeding 4.5 times the social minimum wage for unskilled worker, the student is excluded from financial aid. 

PhD grants, Postdoc grants and Public-Private Partnerships as part of the AFR Grant Scheme

Financial aid for higher education may be combined with PhD grants provided within the AFR PhD Individual Grant Scheme for research (AFR; Aides à la Formation-Recherche).

The AFR Grant Scheme is managed by the national research fund (FNR; Fonds national de la recherche), which supports doctoral research training projects in Luxembourg and abroad. All fields of research are eligible and the maximum duration of funding is 4 years. 

The main objective of the AFR funding scheme is to attract and train the best doctoral researchers from abroad in Luxembourg, and to support excellent doctoral students from Luxembourg to obtain their doctorate abroad and to ensure the quality of doctoral training in Luxembourg. 

The AFR funding scheme is in line with the principles advocated in the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers.

Other advantages

• Since 1 March 2020, public transport in Luxembourg can be used free-of-charge throughout the country and for all modes of transport -  trams, trains, and buses. This social measure applies to all users – residents, cross-border commuters or tourists. 
• The University of Luxembourg proposes student accommodation below market prices
• Meals at the University canteen are offered at favourable prices by Restopolis, the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth’s restaurant service.

More information on students’ budgets (starting budget and estimated monthly budget) is available on the website of the University.

Private Education

Financial autonomy and accountability

Private institutions have to comply with commercial accounting regulations. There are no specific rules on reporting applicable to these kinds of institutions.

Fees

Private higher education institutions are free to define the registration fees they charge for the study programmes they provide.

Financial support for students and their families

Students enrolled in accredited private higher education benefit from the same aids and advantages as those enrolled in public higher education.

Grant-aided sector

There is no grant-aided private higher education in Luxembourg.