Financing for equity in higher education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students
4. Support for students' living costs
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In 2022, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes was 167%. The initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita was 10% in 2019, while the initial household funding per tertiary student was 2.5%.
Tuition-free status
According to the Constitution, higher education is public, offered exclusively by the state and free of charge. Admission, enrolment and attendance in all public higher education institutions are offered to all students free of charge.
Tuition fees may only be charged for postgraduate students in specific postgraduate programmes by decision of the Department’s General Assembly and the Senate.
Students of the Hellenic Open University pay fees, while students of the International Hellenic University contribute financially to the operational costs of postgraduate programmes, the amount of which is based on a joint decision of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, based on the Senate's opinion.
Newly established non-state universities are able to charge tuition fees, which are set by institutions themsleves and vary according to the curriculum and level of education.
Governance
Public higher education institutions are mainly funded by the state budget and subject to state supervision and financing by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, as stipulated in Article 16 of the Constitution.
As of 2025/26, higher education will also be provided in newly established non-state, non-profit universities supervised by the National Authority for Higher Education (NAHEA), in accordance with Law 5094/2024. These institutions are also under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, in cooperation with the National Authority for Higher Education (NAHE) and the National Organisation for the Accreditation of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP).
Every four years, the Minister of Education approves the National Strategic Programme for Higher Education, where draft planning agreements are drawn up between the institution and the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, taking into consideration each institution’s operational costs, investments, and staff. The Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) plays an important role in the above process, ensuring the transparency of the criteria for institutions’ funding. HAHE also recommends the National Strategic Programme for Higher Education, the programme agreements with each institution, and the distribution of the total annual budget for higher education institutions’ funding to the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Public higher education institutions receive funding directly from the central government.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
Higher education is considered exclusively public, with non-state universities (established in 2025/26) not funded by the state budget, but from their own resources. Their main revenues include tuition fees, donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Allocation and equity
Public funding of higher education institutions is distributed based on objective (80%) and performance (20%) criteria, without a specific equity allocation. Eighty per cent of funding is allocated according to the total number of students enrolled per study programme, the estimated annual cost of studying per student for each programme, the duration of the study programmes, and the institution’s size and geographical spread. The remaining 20% is distributed based on qualitative and performance indicators, including the quality and effectiveness of the educational process, research activity, and internationalisation. The quality and effectiveness of the process is assessed using the ratio of graduates to newly enrolled students, evaluations of educational services provided to students, and the professional absorption of graduates. This funding mechanism was first introduced in law in 2020 to increase funding transparency, with full implementation planned for 2022.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
Admission to public higher education institutions is based on the minimum admission requirements of each department/faculty and the total sum of marks gained in the 4 subjects being examined in the panhellenic exams at each scientific field.
Students with serious illnesses and a disability rate of at least 67% are admitted to higher education institutions without examinations at a 5% rate per institution or department. Moreover, victims of the Tempe train collision in 2023 are entitled to be admitted to higher education institutions under more ‘favourable’ conditions. Finally, athletes with distinctions are entitled to be admitted to higher education institutions under special provisions, or without restrictions when having received high distinctions.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
Scholarships
The State Scholarships Foundation grants scholarships to students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At the undergraduate level, the ‘Programme for the Award of Scholarships to Diligent Students from Vulnerable Social Groups and to Parents of Three Children or Large Families’ awards undergraduate scholarships to diligent, low-income students, supporting the on-time completion of their studies and ensuring equal participation in higher education for people from vulnerable social groups, as well as for parents with three children or those from large families. The initiative is co-funded by the government and the European Union through the Operational Programme ‘Human Resources and Social Cohesion’ (NSRF 2021-2027).
The programme also provides additional support for candidates with a disability of at least 50%, of any kind (physical, mental, intellectual, sensory) and candidates who are parents of three or more children or members of such families, whether dependents or not.
Higher education institutions may grant student scholarships and awards based on measurable criteria such as performance in studies, and individual or family financial status. The institutions’ internal rules and regulations specify the terms and conditions of these grants. Contributory scholarships are also foreseen for undergraduate and post-graduate students. The only obligation, on behalf of the students, is to offer part time employment (up to 40 hours) monthly to higher education services. The Special Accounts for Research Funds (ELKEs) of higher education institutions may also offer reciprocal scholarships to doctoral candidates and post-docs, Greek students and foreigners, in exchange for their occupation in implementing co-financed operations in the institution concerned.
Benefits and Allowances
Family Allowance for Civil Servants
Public sector employees are entitled to a family allowance for their children by the Ministry of Finance if the children are enrolled in a higher education institution, higher vocational institute or the Hellenic Open University. The amount is fixed regardless of income level.
Child Benefit for Private Sector Employees (A21)
In the private sector, the child benefit is not tied to the employment contract, but to the equivalent family’s income (means-tested), which is divided into three categories (highest, medium and lowest benefit, which is adjusted based on how many children and adults are in the household). It is granted to all families who meet the income criteria. If the child is a student, the benefit is granted on the condition that they are enrolled in a higher education institution, vocational institute or the Hellenic Open University. The agency responsible for this benefit is OPEKA (Organization for Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity).
Loans
Students attending the first cycle of studies are entitled to an interest-free educational loan conditional on their academic performance, their social and economic status and their families' grant by the country’s financial institutions. The precondition for granting a loan to students, the procedure and terms of the loan payout and any other relevant issue are determined by the Joint Decision of the Ministers of Finance and Education and Religious Affairs and Sports.
Similarly, Greek students who are enrolled in postgraduate courses at departments of Greek universities for the award of a Master's degree or a doctoral degree can take loans from financial organizations and institutions, guaranteed and even subsidised by the Greek State.
According to tax legislation, tax reliefs are also provided for families with children up to 25 years of age attending higher education institutions.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
Students are entitled to reduced prices in public means of transport, in addition to museums, theatres, art galleries and other cultural events.
There are also provisions for transfers to faculties/departments near the students’ place of residence, which is based on social, economic and health criteria, or exceptionally serious and justified cases (e.g. for students in detention centres).
Accommodation
Student housing is a social benefit primarily aimed at supporting students from lower-income backgrounds. Most student residences are owned by the Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation (INEDIVIM) or managed directly by the universities themselves. Many universities also rent rooms in private hotels to accommodate students in cities where designated campus housing is unavailable.
A housing allowance for the financial support for families of students whose permanent residence is far from the location of the university where they are studying is provided to the individual who bears the cost of the student's studies. Beneficiaries can be students themselves if they are orphans; their parents are foreign residents; they are over the age of 25; they are liable to submit an income tax return and are not considered protected members; or they come from EU countries. Income criteria and assets are taken into account for granting the allowance. Students studying for the attainment of a second degree or a postgraduate title are not entitled to an allowance.
Expenses for student accommodation and meals are covered depending on students’ personal and family income.
Accommodation is not guaranteed for all students. Since the number of beds is significantly lower than the number of students, priority is given based on strict criteria: income status (with low-income families receiving priority); family status (i.e. students from large families, orphans or those with siblings studying in a different city); health status (students with disabilities or chronic health conditions); and academic standing. Housing provided by the state is typically free of charge or involves a very nominal monthly maintenance fee.
Textbooks
Textbooks and other printed material are provided free of charge to all higher education students.
This profile has been reviewed by Dr Halkiotis Dimitrios, Adjunct Lecturer at the Greek Open University and Certified Trainer in National Centre of Public Administration.
