Latvia 2015/16 - student fees and grants

National student fee

Students studying on state subsidised places do not pay fees. 63 % of 1st cycle students and 49 % of 2nd cycle students pay fees (2014/15).

The majority of students, including those enrolled in evening courses, distance courses or courses offered jointly with other universities pay fees.Fee amounts vary by field and course load. Each higher education institution (HEI) can set its own fees. Fees are lower in regional HEIs and highest in the capital Riga. The fees range from EUR 1 280 to 7 000 per year for fulltime studies and from EUR 700 to 2 700 for  part-time studies in the 1st cycle. In the 2nd cycle, fees range from EUR 1 080 to 8 626 for full-time studies and from EUR 880 to 12 500 for part-time studies per year. For short-cycle tertiary education or college programmes (ISCED level 5), the fees range from EUR 555 to 7 400 for full-time studies per year and EUR 570 to 2 422 for part-time studies per year. Fees in a long-cycle programmes (medicine, paediatrics, dentistry) varies from EUR 2 800 to 11 500 per year.

The amounts of fees for international students may differ in some study programmes (e.g. medicine, dentistry, engineering) and are usually higher. Students from EU and EEA are treated as home students. However, fees for studying in programmes provided in the English language are usually higher than of the programmes with the Latvian language of instruction.

Student grants

Public grants (state-subsidised study places) are allocated on the basis of academic merit. These grants are primarily available in priority areas; currently natural sciences, computer sciences and engineering.

Other public grants are traditionally available based on academic merit. Recently, more need-based criteria are taken into account. Disabled or orphaned students with families, from large families or in economic need are treated favourably. These state budget grants are EUR 99.60/month (per 10 months) for the first and second cycle. Only 14 % of all students studying in state financed places at public HEIs receive this funding support.

Loans

Two types of loans exist. The first is to cover tuition costs and the second to cover living costs with a cap of EUR 170.74/month. Loans need to be paid back 12 months after the end of the degree programme. In 2014/15, about 13 % of fee-paying students benefited from the loan for tuition costs, and 9 % of state subsidised students took out a loan for living expenses (2014/15). Both in 2014 and 2015 the Government has published a list of number of occupations considered to be significant for national economic development, and the state will cover part of the student loan for those students studying in these fields.

Tax benefit for student's parents

Tax benefits are awarded to parents and students (payers of personal income tax) of EUR 213.43 per year to recover part of the annual funds invested in health care and education. Also, a parent has relief of personal income tax for a child while she or he studies in higher education, but only until the student reaches 24 years of age.

Family allowances

No family allowances.