I Want to Study Abroad for Free….
The cost of education has tripled over the last three decades, leaving students nearly $40,000 in student loan debt. With this in mind, the thought ‘I want to study abroad for free’ may be crossing your mind.
Or maybe your child will be attending university in a few years and you are worrying about how to pay for their education costs.
I can relate
I had to pay for all my bachelor and masters degree fees. I remember having to work really hard throughout my degree and masters to pay for my education costs. Money that could have been spent on a house deposit or my future.
If the younger 18 year old me knew there was a way to get free education abroad, I would have most definitely taken that route.
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Do you need to speak a foreign language to study abroad?
Not necessarily.
A lot of universities have courses in English so you can actually get by without having to learn an entire new language.
Having said that, if you need to spend 6 months learning a new language, in your home country or with a teacher online, it could save you lot of money in the long run.
A lot of language courses cost no more than $1,000.
You get to learn a new language AND avoid a bunch of student debt. It’s a win-win situation!
What is the EU/EEA?
You will often see me reference this through the article, it means countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area.
It matters because any student who isn’t classified as a citizen of a country or of the EU/EEA, will fall under the classification of ‘international student’. Differing tuition fees may apply
Free Education for International Students
1.Norway
If you want to know is there a way to study abroad for free,Norway offers free education to all local and international students… as long as you can speak Norwegian! This is because most of the courses are taught in the Norwegian language.
So if you are thinking, I want to study abroad for free, Norway is the place for you.
EU/EEA: FREE for all courses
International students: FREE for all courses
Admin fee: $50
Do I need to speak Norwegian: Yes
Note– English language programmes are more common atmaster’s and PhD level, and the free tuition rule still applies.
Note 2-It is very expensive to live in Norway, so prepare to save some money for living cists beforehand NOK 8,900 (approx. $2,000 ) may be needed per month for accommodation clothing, healthcare, transport and food expenses.
Here is a list of universities in Norway where you can study for FREE:
- University of Agder (UiA)
- Bergen University College
- University of Bergen (UiB)
- Lillehammer University College
- University of Nordland (UiN) (formerly Bodø University College)
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB)
- University of Oslo (UiO)– Highly ranked
- Telemark University College
- University of Stavanger (UiS)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- University of Tromsø (UiT)
2.Finland
Finland used to offer free education to local and international students, however, since 2017 international students who wish to study a course in English must pay.
Courses in Finnish or Swedish are still FREE.
So, next time someone says, I want to study abroad for free. please recommend a Finland to them.
EU/EEA: FREE for all courses
International students: FREE for PHD students and courses in Swedish or Finnish
Do you need to speak Finnish: YES, if you are a non-EU student.
Note- They also offer exceptional PhD candidates an opportunity to study their degree without paying fees, and earn a salary!
Tuition free universities in Finland:
- The University of Helsinki
- University of Turku
3.Sweden
Sweden is one of the countries offering free education to international students. Sweden also comes second in the world for the Quality of Life index rankings. The air is fresh, the people are beautiful and the food is excellent. Perfect place to study!
EU/EEA: FREE for all courses
International students: Degree- Not FREE, PHD FREE + a salary!
Do I need to speak Swedish : No
Top Tuition Free Swedish Universities:
- Jonkoping University
- Karolinska Institute
- Uppsala University– Highly ranked
- Lund University
- Stockholm University
- Gothenburg University
- Halmstad University
4.Germany
The German public universities do not charge any tuition fees at all.
The great thing is, they offer a wide range of courses entirely in English, so you can earn a university degree from Germany without having to speak a worm of German.
So if you are thinking, I want to study abroad for freebut I only know English .. then Germany may be for you!
EU/EEA: FREE for all courses
International students: FREE for all courses
Admin fee: $165-$275
Do I need to speak German: NO
Here is a list of German universities where you can study for FREE:
- University of Munich
- University of Freiburg
- Hamburg University of Applied sciences
- University of Bonn
- University of Tubingen
- Leibniz University of Hannover
- Berlin School of Economics and Law, Berlin
- University of Applied Sciences, Bonn-Rheine-Sieg
- Berlin University of Technology
- Brandenburg University of Technology
- University of Freiburg
- Hamburg University of Applied sciences
- Ravensburg Weingarten University of Applied Science
- Goritz Unversity of Applied Science
5.Slovenia
Tucked between Italy and Croatia, Slovenia provides access to the mountain and the beach. It also has a highly rated education system.
EU/EEA: FREE for all courses
International students: Degree- Not FREE, PHD FREE
Do I need to speak Slovenian : No
Cost of living here is also really cheap.
Accommodation at a university dormitory is around $150 per month, and a meal will set you back no more than $15.
6.France
Education in France is not completely free, but tuition fees are very low. If you compare them to the education costs in the UK,US or Australia, its much less.
EU/EEA: $220-440 per year
International students: $3,300-$4,400 per year
Do I need to speak French: No for English courses, yes for French ones
Here are some universities where you can study for FREE:
- Joseph Fourier University
- Blaise Pascal University
- Paris13 University
- Garden Design Academy
- IESEG School of Management
- Institute Commercial de Nancy
- Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse
University Bordeaux I - Claude Bernard University
- Henri Poincare University
7.Austria
Austria has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Despite the fact that living costs are quite high, their education costs are cheap compared to the rest of the world.
EU/EEA: FREE for 8 semesters
International students: $800 per semester
Do I need to speak German: Yes as most degree programs are in German but some Master programs are in English.
You can find them here.
Here are universities in Austria where you can study for FREE:
- University of Applied Sciences
- The University of Music and Dramtic Arts in Graz
- Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien
- Vienna International Fine Art Academy
- Webster University, Vienna
- Wels College of Engineering (WCE)
- Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien
- Technikum Wien
- Technische Universität Graz
- Universität für Bodenkultur Wien
8.Czech Republic
Czech Republic is one of countries with free education. If you can speak Czech then you can study for free at any public university. But don’t fret, it costs around $900 per semester to study the language.
Czech Republic also extremely affordable to live in.
EU/EEA: FREE
International students: FREE
Do I need to speak Czech: Yes
Admin fee: $22
Studyabroadfor free in Czech Republic:
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague
- Brno University of Technology
- Palacky University
- Charles University in Prague
- Masaryk University
- Silesian University in Opava
- Technical University in Liberec
- University of Economics, Prague
- VSB – Technical University of Ostrava
- University of West Bohemia
9.Belgium
Belgium is the official headquarters of the European Union and is full of rich culture, renaissance architecture and medieval towns.
EU/EEA: $908 a year
International students: $4,600 per year
Do I need to speak Dutch: Yes for degrees, but some master programs are in English
10.Greece
Known for the mystical positive energy powers of Mount Olympus, and its raw natural beauty, Greece is a country I have always wanted to live in.
Living costs are also extremely cheap here and if you like grilled meat and dancing, thus is the place for you!
EU/EEA: FREE
International students: $1,653 per year
Do I need to speak Greek: Yes
- University of Patras
- International Hellenic University
- University of Piraeus
- Technical University of Crete
11.Spain
I currently live in Barcelona and can testify to its vibrant culture and fantastic food. It is an idea place for students and will give real quality of life.
Ps; I can confirm that the sun does indeed shine all the time
EU/EEA: FREE
International students: $826-2,755 per year
Do I need to speak Spanish: Yes, expect for 2 universities below
- University of Valencia (La Universitat de València)
- Pablo de Olavide University (Universidad Pablo de Olavide)
- The University of Granada (Universidad de Granada)
- The University of Salamanca (Universidad de Salamanca)
- University of Deusto (Universidad Deusto)
- Nebrija University (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija)
- Complutense University of Madrid (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
- University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona)
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
- Global Business School – Barcelona
- Marbella University – in Malaga
12.Iceland
The land of fire and ice is a country I’ve lusted after for many years. Now you can study here for FREE!
EU/EEA: FREE
International students: FREE
Do I need to speak Icelandic: Yes
- University of Iceland,
- Reykjavík University
- University of Akureyri
- Bifröst University
- Iceland Academy of the Arts
- Reykjavik University
- Agricultural University of Iceland
- Holar University College
- University of Akureyri
- University of Iceland
13.Luxemburg
Here is an interesting fact. Despite the fact that there are three national languages (Luxembourgish, German and French) in Luxemburg,English is taught compulsorily.
This means that most of the population speak English !
EU/EEA: $880 first year, $440 per year after
International students: $880 first year, $440 per year after
Do I need to speak Luxembourgish: No
Admin fee: $110 per semester
14.Brazil
Brazil is known for its wild carnivals, mysterious amazon, Caipirinha and cocoas bens. Not to mention all that football talent!
If I was 18 again and liked football, dancing and good food, I’d be studying there right now.
You will need to speak Portuguese and take a CELPE-Bras certificate to demonstrate your language skills
EU/EEA: FREE
International students: FREE
Do I need to speak Portuguese: Yes
- Universidade da Região de Joinville (UNIVILLE)
- Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC)
- Unidade de Ensino Superior de Cacoal (UNESC)
- Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS)
- Faculdade La Salle
- Rio Grande do Norte
- Universidade Vale do Acarau (UVA)
- Centro Universitário do Pará (CESUPA)
- Faculdade da Amazônia (FAMA)
15.Japan
Famous for embarrassing Ireland in the Rugby world cup recently ( tee hee!). Japan is also known for its delicious ramen, sumo wrestling and delicately beautiful cherry blossoms.
The government is also on a quest to attract more international students, so it is focusing on making life easier for foreign students.
EU/EEA: $2,200- $4,400 per year
International students: $2,200- $4,400 per year
Do I need to speak Japanese : YES
Admin fee: $2,500
- University of Tokyo
- Kyoto University
- Osaka University
- Nagoya University
- Keio University
- Waseda University
- Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Doshisha University
- Hokkaido University
- Soka University
- Kyushu University
- Tohoku University
Now you know how to study for free, there is no excuse to get an education!
Studying abroad in a country that offers free education is a great way of reducing college costsand saving more for the future.
So the next time someone says, I want to study abroad for free, please send on this article to them!
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