In Finland and Norway, educational costs, such as tuition, materials and registration fees, are non-existent for most degrees in which the medium of instruction is in English. However, prospective students should take into consideration that living expenses in Norway, for example, are higher than in many other countries. So although tuition may be free, living expenses certainly will add up. Tuition-free universities in these countries include Ãbo Akademi University, University of Helsinki, and University of Joensuu in Finland, as well as University of Bergen and University of Oslo in Norway.
Germany is another free-tuition country. Many of Germany's educational institutions, such as the University of Stuttgart, charge little or no tuition for international studies, provided that students prove through examinations that they are qualified for the program. Although Germany's tuition is free, registration fees, books and education are often not. High living costs should also be taken into consideration.
Sweden, like Finland and Norway, has for years offered free tuition for university education--until 2011, when the Swedish government passed a bill to introduce tuition and admission fees for international students. Instead of tuition being free for these students, they are to be compensated with a number of scholarships that are based on need and academic merit.
Students applying for higher-education courses in Ireland may be able to waive tuition costs if they qualify for the Free Fee Scheme, a program that offers free tuition to prospective students.To qualify for this program, a student must be a European resident, must not have previously applied for undergraduate studies at any college or university and must enroll in courses of study for a minimum of two years.