Latvia 2023/24 - student fees and grants

National student fee

In Latvia universities set their own tuition fees, and there are no national minimum or maximum amounts. Officially all students pay fees, but students on state-funded (budget) places do not pay tuition. Not every full-time home student gets such a place.

If you study on a place that is not funded by the state, you (or a company or person who signs a contract with the university) pay the fee. Fees vary a lot: medicine and dentistry are the most expensive. International students, students on non-funded places and students in programmes taught in foreign languages pay more.

Part-time students pay fees, except part-time students of teacher education programmes from the spring semester of 2024.

Universities decide on fee waivers and reductions, based on academic results and social criteria. There is no data on fee amounts or on how many students paid fees in 2023/24.

Student grants

Latvia has need-based and merit-based grants for home full-time and part-time students, but only students on state-funded places can apply. Need-based grants also require good enough study results. Grants cover 10 months and there is no age limit.

In 2023/24 the need-based grant amounted to EUR 1,600 a year and the merit-based grant to EUR 1,400 a year.

Full-time international students can get a universal grant, but only if they come from a country that has an education and science cooperation agreement with Latvia or that offers scholarships to Latvian students and researchers. From 2024, part-time teacher-education students can also receive grants.

Loans

Publicly subsidised loans are available to home and international students, full-time and part-time, with no age limit. There is no data on loan amounts for 2023/24.

Tax benefit for student's parents

Parents of students and students who earn their own income can get tax incentives. The age limit is 24.

Family allowances

There are no family allowances for students' parents.