Swedish universities plan to charge tuition for non-European students

2008-06-23 20:11:38 [ Big Normal Small ]    　Comment

    STOCKHOLM, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Studying at Swedish universities will no longer be tuition-free for non-European students, local media reported Monday.

    Sweden's coalition government is in total agreement on charging fees to students from non-European Union member nations, except Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and the new tuition system would come into force no later than Jan. 1, 2010, the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet reported.

    "Our primary argument is that it is unwise of a country not to benefit from a payment system which obviously exists," Sweden's Higher Education Minister Lars Leijonborg was quoted as saying.

    "Why should these students pay money to American or British universities, but not to Swedish ones?" he asked.

    The fees will be based on the costs incurred by an individual university. Meanwhile, a system of stipends will be implemented for students lacking sufficient funds to pay tuition, the minister said.

    Sweden is one of the few countries in the world which does not charge tuition to students for their university studies in the country. Currently, there are about 8,000 non-European students studying in Sweden.

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