SWEDEN: Universities prepare for tuition fee fallout

Wandering through the falling snow in front of the renowned law faculty at Lund University, Ukrainian maritime law student Anton Kulchytskyy has nothing but praise for Swedish higher education, writes Adam Mullett for The Local. "Sweden has always been world famous for its free and high quality education," he explains. But starting in the autumn of 2011, international students from outside Europe will face application fees and a hefty tuition bill for the privilege of pursuing a degree in Sweden.

As of 1 December, the first day international students can submit applications for admission for the autumn 2011 term, students from outside the European Union and European Economic Area must pay a 900 kronor (US$125) fee to file their application. That cost is just a drop in the bucket compared to tuition fees that can top 200,000 kronor (US$29,200) per year for non-European students. Combined with estimated living costs of 8,000 to 10,000 kronor a month, the fees suddenly make higher education in Sweden a costly endeavour.

"We believe that the number of applications will decrease dramatically, definitely in the first years, when the tuition fees are introduced," warns Beatrice Hoga, president of Sweden's National Union of Students.
Full report on The Local site