Not having to pay tuition fees might be a thing of the past in England, but a number of European nations still offer access to free university education.

Keir Starmer said this week that his party wants to ‘move on’ from its pledge to abolish university tuition fees in England. He had made the promise to abolish fees during his campaign to be leader of the Labour Party. The U-turn attracted criticism from the left.

In 2010, the coalition government announced the tuition fees ceiling in England would be raised from £3,290 to a maximum of £9,000 a year from 2012, meaning the cost of courses would be transferred from the state to students. The announcement sparked widespread criticism and protests.

Advocates of no tuition fees have long detailed the benefits of making university education free. One of the most powerful arguments for free education is that it ensures equality of opportunity. Under the current system, while the richest 10 percent of students get to go to university for free because their parents pay for it, their less well-off peers can be saddled with debt for years.

While no tuition fees might be a thing of the past in England, a number of European countries still offer access to free university education.

Norway

Most higher education institutions in Norway do not charge tuition fees as they are funded by the Ministry of Education and Research. This gives students the opportunity to study at top-ranked universities, such as the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo. The nation offers free undergraduate and postgraduate education for local and international students. However, in March it was announced that the Norwegian Parliament had decided to introduce tuition fees for all new-coming international students from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Norway also offers free education for adults who missed out on the traditional route to university. Every adult over the age of 24 and living legally in Norway is entitled to free education up to secondary, or high-school, level.

Germany

Believing that education should not be treated as a ‘commercial product’ but rather ensures economic growth and welfare, Germany is one of the few countries in Europe where students can study for free, regardless of where they are from. Students outside of the EU will however need to commit to finishing their studies in Germany and obtain a residence permit prior to arriving in the country.

Finland

Education is free in Finland for locals and citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. Students enrolling from outside these areas are required to pay fees.

Greece

At public universities in Greece, students from the EU, Switzerland and EEA are not charged any tuition fees. For non-European students, tuition costs are low, at around £1,320 a year for an undergraduate course.

Scotland

University is free in Scotland for students from Scotland, and the EU. For students from the rest of the UK – Northern Ireland, Wales, and England, and the Republic of Ireland – university fees cost up to £9,250 a year.  

Austria

University access in Austria is free to all EU and EEA students.

Sweden

Students from Sweden, the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland, do not have to pay tuition fees. People studying from outside these areas have to pay up to £22,450 a year, depending on the course and university.

Denmark

Home to some of the best universities in Europe, including the University of Copenhagen and the Aarhus University, higher education is free in Denmark for local students, as well as those from Switzerland, the EU and EEA. Students outside of these areas are required to pay a fee.

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward

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