How EU countries support their students

To what extent European governments help their students is not only a question of education, but also of social policy. According to Eurostat, in 2022, financial support for students and their families from EU governments averaged €533 per high school and college student and €1766 per university student.

But behind this average lies a huge gap. Denmark leads in terms of support for university students: €8024 per person. Ireland (€5692) and Sweden (€4948), countries with strong social guarantees and a tradition of investment in human capital, are also in the top five. At the other end of the scale are Greece (€20), Croatia (€97) and the Czech Republic (€115), where state support for students is almost symbolic.

The EU average for high school and college students was €533. The leaders are the Netherlands (€1790), Sweden (€1741) and again Denmark (€1644). The worst situation is in Croatia (€7), Poland (€16) and Hungary (€76).

Interestingly, in most EU countries, university students receive more support than students at other levels. The exceptions are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovenia, where priority is given to the pre-university stage.

These data cover only direct aid: scholarships, government loans, family allowances depending on the status of the student. They do not take into account other forms of support such as food, transport, health care, hostels or tax exemptions, which in some countries can have a significant impact on the overall 'cost' of education.

The difference in approaches is explained not only by the economic capabilities of states, but also by differences in the philosophy of social policy. In some countries, education is a private responsibility of the family, while in others it is a strategic investment of the state in the future. As a result, a student in Denmark can expect 400 times more aid than in Greece.