Slovakia

Read more about The organisation of the academic year

**The organisation of the academic year 2026/2027 in the Slovak Republic**
Beginning of the academic year	September
Period(s) when there are teaching activities	September – December, February - May
Period(s) of examination	December - February, May – July / August
End of the academic year	August
Breaks between the teaching activities excluding the examination period	December, July - August

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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.

2026

Second-chance education

In October 2025, an amendment to the Act No. 245/2008 Coll. on education and training (Zákon č. 245/2008 Z.z. o výchove a vzdelávaní) was approved, which regulates the second-chance education possibilities and conditions, i.e., obtaining primary or lower secondary education. The amendment describes the following possibilities:

Read more about National reforms in school education

2026

National Project: Promoting the Responsible and Pedagogically Meaningful Use of Artificial Intelligence in Regional Education

Read more about National reforms in early childhood education and care

2026

Action Plan for 2026–2030 for the National Strategy for the Development of Coordinated Early Intervention and Early Childhood Care Services 2022–2030.

Read more about Overview

Key features of the education system

Public schools provide primary and secondary education free of charge. Higher education is free for full-time students as well, providing that they do not exceed the standard length of study. Private and church schools may charge for education provided.

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Slovakia

National Information

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

FEES

Annual grant amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - GRANTS

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Further readings

2026

Second-chance education

2026

National Project: Promoting the Responsible and Pedagogically Meaningful Use of Artificial Intelligence in Regional Education

2026

Action Plan for 2026–2030 for the National Strategy for the Development of Coordinated Early Intervention and Early Childhood Care Services 2022–2030.

Key features of the education system

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