Free education iseducation funded through government spending or charitable organizations rather than tuition funding.Primary school and othercomprehensive orcompulsory education is free in most countries (often not including primary textbook).Tertiary education is also free in certain countries, includingpost-graduate studies inGuyana[1]and theNordic countries.[2]
The Article 13 ofInternational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ensures the right to free education at primary education and progressive introduction of it atsecondary andhigher education as theright to education.[3]
Free education--at various levels--has been guaranteed by bothdomestic constitutions and in internationalhuman rights treaties.
The cost of education first became a subject of international law following World War I, although only for certain countries and only in limited situations. The "Minority Treaties" guaranteed racial, religious, and linguistic minorities in specific European countries an equal right with other nationals to establish schools at their own expense, but where such groups formed a considerable proportion of the population, they were assured of an equitable share of public educational funds, as well as instruction in their languages in public primary schools.[4]
In 1948, theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights declared that everyone has a right to education, and that education "shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages."[5]
In the first treaty dedicated to education--the 1960Convention against Discrimination in Education-- states undertake to "make primary education free and compulsory; make secondary education in its different forms generally available and accessible to all; [and] make higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of individual capacity."[6]
Under the 1966International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, countries recognize "the right of everyone to education," and that "primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all;" secondary education, including technical and vocational education, "shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education;" and that "higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education."[7] Countries undertake to "achieve progressively the full realization" of this right by all appropriate means and "to the maximum" of available resources.
The 1989Convention on the Rights of the Child states that countries "recognize the right of the child to education" and that they "shall, in particular … (a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all; (b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need; [and] (c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means."[8]
In June 2024, the UN'sHuman Rights Council approved the establishment of a working group with the mandate of "exploring the possibility of, elaborating and submitting to the Human Rights Council a draft optional protocol to theConvention on the Rights of the Child with the aim to: ... Explicitly state that, with a view to achieving the right to education, States shall: (i) Make publicpre-primary education available free to all, beginning with at least one year; (ii) Make publicsecondary education available free to all."[9]
State universities in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Sweden do not charge international students with tuition fees for Ph.D. degrees and in some cases for bachelor's and master's degrees as well.[10][11][12]
| State | Local language-taught bachelor's and master's degrees tuition fees (per year) for international students[Note 1] | English-taught bachelor's and master's degrees tuition fees (per year) for international students[Note 2] | Ph.D. degrees tuition fees for international students | Ph.D. degrees tuition fees forEEA students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Czech Republic | Free at state universities[10][13] | 2,700 to 10,000 EUR[13] | Free at state universities[11] | Free at state universities[11] |
 Denmark | 6,000 - 16,000 EUR[12] | 6,000 - 16,000 EUR[12] | 6,000 - 16,000 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Finland | Free at state universities[14][12] | 5,000 - 20,000 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[11] | Free at state universities[12] |
 France | 2,800 - 3,800 EUR[12] | 2,800 - 3,800 EUR[12] | 2,800 - 3,800 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Germany | Free at state universities[12] | Free at state universities[12] | Free at state universities[11] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Greece | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Hungary | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | ca. 1,500 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Iceland | Free at state universities[15] | Free at state universities[15] | Free at state universities[15] | Free at state universities[15][12] |
 Norway | 15,000 - 30,000 EUR[12] | 15,000 - 30,000 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[11] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Poland | ca. 2,000 EUR[12] | ca. 2,000 EUR[12] | ca. 2,000 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Saudi Arabia | All fees automatically covered by scholarships, including living costs, at state universities[11][18][19] | All fees automatically covered by scholarships, including living costs, at state universities[11][18][19] | ||
 Slovenia | ca. 5,000 EUR[12] | ca. 5,000 EUR[12] | ca. 5,000 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[12] |
 Sweden | 8,300 - 20,800 EUR[12] | 8,300 - 20,800 EUR[12] | Free at state universities[11] | Free at state universities[12] |
InArgentina, education is free since 1949 in every state university, not only for Argentine students, but also for international students willing to study in Argentina. Free education is financed by the Ministry of Education.[citation needed]
InBangladesh, article 17 ofConstitution of Bangladesh provides that all children receive free and compulsory education.[20] Primary and secondary education is financed by the state and free of charge in public schools. The government provides free textbooks to all primary and secondary-level students. In 2022, 347,016,277 free textbooks have been distributed among 41,726,856 students across the country.[21] The government provides free school meals to 400,000 children in 2,000 schools across 8 Divisions.[22]
InBrazil, free education is offered by the Ministry of Education, which offers scholarships for graduate degrees, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral for Brazilians and immigrants with a Brazilian citizenship. The best universities and research centers are public institutions, financed by either the local state (state universities) or the federal government (federal universities). Graduate students can get paid if they qualify for the incentive, but competition usually are extremely fierce.[citation needed]
InChina, steps towards free education are being taken.[23] The Free Compulsory Education Reform can be described as a program akin to a school subsidy initiative, wherein qualifying students receive financial assistance that encompasses tuition fees and other associated expenses.[24]
InDenmark, university education is provided for free via a monthly stipend, the "Statens Uddannelsesstøtte" or "SU",[25] to students over 18 years of age or students who are under 18 and attending ahigher education.[26] Bachelor and master's degrees in Denmark are offered in either Danish or English depending on the programme or university.[27]
From 2013,Estonia started providing free higher education.[citation needed]
InEuropean Union countries such asFrance andMalta, tuition is usually free for European students, and inGermany, tuition is free for all European and international students.[28]
InFiji the government announced in 2013 it would cover the costs of primary and secondary school education, equivalent to 250 Fiji dollars per year per student.[29]
InGuyana, free education is offered to all Guyanese and immigrants with Guyanese citizenship at all educational levels including nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary at theUniversity of Guyana.[30]
InIran, most prestigious universities are called governmental universities which offer free education for students who pass a very competitive entrance exam with high scores. Graduates from these universities are obliged to serve the country for as many years as they studied for their degree, in order to get their diploma.[citation needed]
InMali, free education implementation is a relatively recent phenomenon. Prior to the turn of the century, education was often too expensive for many families, leading to a high rate of illiteracy and educational inequity. The 1990s saw the beginning of reforms with several NGOs and international bodies lobbying and offering support for free and inclusive education.[31]
InMauritius, the government provides free education to its citizens from pre-primary to tertiary levels. Since July 2005, the government also introduced free transport for all students.[citation needed]
InNew Zealand, the Labour government will introduce three years of free post-school study or training. From January 1, 2018, new students will have one year free for entering study or training. From 2021, those starting tertiary education would get two years free, and from 2024 three years. The overall cost of the package is $6 billion. Labour has also pledged to increase student allowances by $50 a week, and to restore post-graduate students' eligibility for student allowances.[32]
InNorway, at theUniversity of Oslo, there is no tuition fee except a small semester fee of NOK(600) (US$74).[33][failed verification]
In thePhilippines, public primary and secondary schools are free of tuition.[34] The 1935 Constitution provided foruniversal primary education. Primary education was made free under the 1973 Constitution, while the 1987 Constitution extended free education to the secondary level.[35] Free public tertiary education has beenenacted in 2017.[36][37]
InRussia, prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union, tuition was free for everyone obtaining sufficient grades. Since 1991, students obtaining sufficient grades, are still eligible for a free education (on a competitive basis) in state or private universities, but the student can also pay for studying if grades are above minimal threshold, but not enough to be enrolled into the desired university for free.[38]
InSri Lanka, free education is provided by the government at different levels. Government funded schools such asnational schools, provincial schools andPiriven provide primary and secondary education free, while assisted schools and semi-governmental schools provide the same at subsidized rates. At the university level, the universities provide undergraduate courses free, however, this totals only about 10% for those qualified for university entrance. Grants and scholarships are provided for a limited number of study allowances.Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara who was the Minister of Education made education free for all Sri Lankan students in 1940 s. Kannangara's significant achievements in areas of education have led him to being commonly referred to as theFather of Free Education in Sri Lanka.[39]
InSweden, until the early 21st century, free education was provided to foreign students. Changes have been introduced to charge fees to foreign students from outside theEuropean community.[40]
InTanzania, a fee free education was introduced for all the government schools in 2014.[41] Government would pay the fees, however parents were required to pay for the school uniform and other materials.[42]
InTrinidad and Tobago, free tertiary education is offered to citizens up to the undergraduate level at accredited public and select private institutions. Postgraduate degrees are paid up to 50% by the government at accredited institutions. This benefit is given to the citizens under a programme called Government Assisted Tuition Expenses Programme and it is managed by the Funding and Grants Administration Division of the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training[43]
In theUnited Kingdom, after theSecond World War, fees were generally covered by local authorities and not paid by students. This practice was mandated by thesecond Macmillan ministry in theEducation Act 1962.[44] Fees remainedde facto free for students until theFirst Blair ministry, where through theTeaching and Higher Education Act 1998, tuition fees were first introduced; these were initially capped at £1,000 a year and have slowly increased since then. The Blair ministry also introduceddevolution in the United Kingdom in 1999, shortly after which theScottish Executive abolishedstudent tuition fees at Scottish universities, financing tuition through theStudent Awards Agency. University tuition is free for all Scottish nationals and is discounted for all European students, except from students coming from other parts of theUnited Kingdom.[45][46][47]
In theUnited States,a variety of financial aid programs provide grants andstudent loans, mostly to low-income students, for any accredited college or university. Various proposals at the state and federal level have been made to make eithercommunity colleges or all colleges and universities free for students at all income levels.[48] In March 2022, the U.S. state ofNew Mexico waived tuition for in-state students at all income levels and at all public state and tribal colleges and universities, if registered for six credit-hours and earning a minimum 2.5 GPA.[49]
InUruguay, free, compulsory, and secular education was adopted in 1876, after a reform led byJosé Pedro Varela during theLorenzo Latorre dictatorship. TheUniversity of the Republic follows the same principles, although graduates must pay a yearly contribution.[citation needed]
In theIslamic Golden Age a tradition of freemadrasa-based education arose.[50][51]
Free education has long been identified with "sponsored education"; for example, during theRenaissance, rich dignitaries commonly sponsored the education of young men as patrons.[52]
Thomas Jefferson proposed "establishing free schools to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, and from these schools those of intellectual ability, regardless of background or economic status, would receive a college education paid for by the state."[53]
In theSoviet Union, Vladmir Lenin's government instituted a number of progressive measures which included access touniversal education.[54][55]
In Sri Lanka,C. W. W. Kannangara introduced universal free education from kindergarten up to undergraduate degree, becoming the first country to implement free education on national scale.[39]
In theUnited States,Townsend Harris founded the first free public institution of higher education, the Free Academy of the City of New York (today theCity College of New York), in 1847; it aimed to provide free education to the urban poor, immigrants and their children. Its graduates went on to receive 10 Nobel Prizes, more than any other public university.[56] During the late 19th century, the United States government introducedcompulsory education as free or universal education, which extended across the country by the 1920s.[citation needed]It is the oldest of CUNY's 25 institutions of higher learning [5] and is considered its flagship. Other primacies at City College that helped shape the culture of American higher education include the first student government in the nation (Academic Senate, 1867);[9] the first national fraternity to accept members without regard to religion, race, color or creed (Delta Sigma Phi, 1899);[10] the first degree-granting evening program (School of Education, 1907).City College of New York. In 1944, U.S. PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Serviceman's Readjustment Act, also known as theGI Bill of Rights, into law. The GI Bill allowedWorld War II veterans to attend universities at no cost to them.[57]
A report regarding free higher education was prepared by President Truman in 1947, however, no action was taken, according to what was written in the report. Therefore, it never became a reality. One possible reason could be the ongoing Cold War at that time, which made President Truman shift his focus from the report to the war-defense spending.[58]
Governments typically fund compulsory education through taxes. Aggravatedtruancy can be prosecuted.Homeschooling,private orparochial schooling usually offer legal alternatives.
With the start of many free internet-based learning institutions such asedX (founded in 2012) andMITx (announced in 2011), anyone in the world with Internet access can take free education-courses.[59] In many[quantify] countries, the policy for themerit system has not yet caught up with these recent advances in education technology.[citation needed]
After the2011–13 Chilean student protests, tuition-free college was a major campaign promise of Chilean presidentMichelle Bachelet in 2013. After some years marshaling support and funding, thegratuidad law was passed in 2018, and as of 2019 covers tuition at participating schools for families in the bottom 60% of earnings nation-wide.[60]
Online education has become an option in recent years, particularly with the development of freeMOOCs (massive open online courses) from providers such asKhan Academy (High School) and Higher Education, through providers such asedX,Coursera,Udacity,FutureLearn andAlison. Free education has become available through several websites with some resembling the courses of study of accredited universities. Online education faces barriers such as institutional adoption, license or copyright restrictions, incompatibility and educator awareness of available resources.[61]
Due to the extensive requirements of resources for online education, many open community projects have been initiated. Specifically, theWikimedia Foundation has developed a project devoted tofree online educational resources,Wikiversity, and recently, several other sites for specific topics have developed.[62]
Christian Leaders Institute offers tuition free college level ministry education. Students can take any classes free of charge, but are encouraged to help support the mission of the institution by making donations to this501 (c)3 United States Charity.[63]
TheIslamic Open University (IOU), adistance-learning higher education institution, offers tuition-free graduate and undergraduate degrees. A very modest registration fee is charged per semester, which is based on thehuman development index and thus varies from country to country.[64] The IOU is offering one million scholarships for African youths by 2020.[65]
Nidahas Vidyalaya has started an initiative named Freedom College towards providing tuition-free education in Sri Lanka.[66]
Free education does not only take the form of publicly funded institutions like state universities.[citation needed]
In France, philosopherMichel Onfray created the first non-governmental free education university sinceantiquity, in 2002, with hisUniversité populaire de Caen inNormandy. His decision was triggered by the accession of far-right partyFront National to the second round of the2002 French presidential elections. Onfray stated that people need more political, historical and philosophical background education to be more conscious citizens. His university is run by anassociation loi 1901.[67]
In Iran, Nasra is a movement aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults in 2018.[68] This social movement focuses ondigital media use and mental health and increase the skills of using the media for the public.[69][70]
Before the Western influence, madrasahs imparted knowledge by a chain of transmission [...]. [...] Typically, a madrasah institution provided free education and library facilities; a wide range of subject expert teachers and students were provided with the necessary resources for their studies. A recognised early Sunni madrasah was Al-Azhar University, Cairo, one of the first Sunni centres of learning in the tenth century [...]
[...] the colleges were also endowed with permanent sources of income [...] set aside in perpetuity. The trusts (awqaf) paid the salaries of the faculty and stipends for students.
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