Estonia has established a system of study allowances and created
possibilities to get study loan. The main objective of the system of
study allowances is, through supporting students to study full-time, to
motivate them to complete the curriculum within the standard period.
Study loans secured by the state are intended to give students who
study full-time but who are not entitled to get study allowances the
possibility to finance their studies.
According to the Study
Allowances and Study Loans Act (2003), a student who is an Estonian
citizen or is staying in Estonia on the basis of a permanent or
temporary residence permit and is undergoing vocational training or
acquiring vocational secondary education according to a curriculum
which foresees student places formed on the basis of state commissioned
education, or acquires higher education according to a curriculum which
foresees student places formed on the basis of state commissioned
education in full-time study and has not exceeded the standard period
of studies, has the right to apply for a study allowance. Students
whose residence is located outside the local government unit or outside
the bordering local government units of where the educational
institution at which they study is located may apply for a
supplementary monetary allowance in order to cover expenses related to
housing and transport.
Students have the right to apply for a
study allowance twice a year for 5 study months for the number of years
that corresponds to the academic years foreseen for the standard period
of studies of the relevant curriculum. First year students have that
right once a year for five months – from February until June.
Study
allowances and supplementary allowances are granted according to the
order of merit lists of students (percentage of fulfilled study volume,
study results) within the limits of the funds specifically allocated to
educational institutions for this purpose in the state budget. The size
of the allowances is established by the state budget and the study
allowance funds are allocated to educational institutions from the
state budget through the budget of the Ministry of Education and
Research. An educational institution may direct a maximum of 5% of the
resources of the funds of main study allowances and supplementary
allowances to the fund of special allowances; the procedures of usage
of the special allowance fund are approved by the board of the
educational institution and the fund may be used to offer allowances,
paying attention to the circumstances that obstruct the pupil or
student from continuing his or her studies.
An Estonian citizen
or a person staying in Estonia on the basis of a permanent residence
permit, the duration of whose studies according to the curriculum is
nine calendar months or more, has the right to obtain a study loan if
he or she is enrolled in full-time study on the basis of secondary
education at a vocational school kutseõppeasutus or
is enrolled in higher education study at a higher education
institution. The study loan can be obtained as many times as there are
academic years foreseen for the standard period of studies of the
curriculum. Persons studying at foreign educational institutions have
the right to obtain a study loan to the extent that corresponds to the
standard period of studies of the curriculum in the corresponding or
closest field of study in Estonian educational institutions. Students
have the right to obtain a study loan from 15 September until 1 June of
the following year, first year students – from 1 October.
Credit institutions are deemed to be lenders of study
loans, granting study loans from the funds of their credit resources.
The Minister of Finance enters into a contract with the credit
institution on behalf of the state regarding the management and grant
of study loans. The state guarantees the study loan of the recipient to
the extent of the maximum rate established by the Government of the
Republic and of the interest to be paid to the credit institution on
the amount of the study loan by the recipient.
The recipient of a study loan pays interest to the credit institution on the amount of the loan guaranteed by the state.
The
recipient of a loan shall commence repayment of the loan amount not
later than twelve months after finishing his or her studies if, during
that time the recipient of the loan has not began to continue his or
her studies in a vocational school kutseõppeasutus based on secondary education or in a higher education institution, including in an educational institution abroad.
A person who has finished his or her studies at a vocational school
kutseõppeasutus
or higher education institution and who has commenced service or
employment in a state or local government authority or with a legal
person in public law has the right to have the part of the amount of
his or her study loan which has not yet been repaid cancelled by the
authority or legal person in public law. The relevant conditions shall
be established by the Government of the Republic.
A Doctoral student has the right to apply for a
Doctoral allowance if he or she is an Estonian citizen or is staying in
Estonia on the basis of a permanent or temporary residence permit,
studies in student places formed on the basis of state-commissioned
education at a university in public law or a private university and has
not exceeded the standard period of studies of the curriculum.
Within
the framework of the higher education reform, Estonia has undertaken to
create supplementary opportunities for supporting students’ studies
abroad and the self-improvement of the academic personnel of higher
education institutions. In 2003, the Ministry of Education and Research
initiated in liaison with the Archimedes Foundation the national
scholarship programme Kristjan Jaak which aims at supporting the students of Bachelor’s and Master’s study
of Estonian higher education institutions with their studies in foreign
universities and at promoting the mobility of students and teachers
related to their studies or research.
A provision of the Act of Income Tax, establishing the
right of a resident natural person to deduct his or her schooling costs
or the schooling costs of a dependant up to 26 years of age paid during
a taxation period from his or her income of the taxation period, serves
as an indirect benefit. Schooling costs include the documented costs
paid for studying at a state, public law or licensed private higher
education institution or a foreign educational institution equal
thereto, or for studying at payable courses provided by these
educational institutions. The interests of a study loan are also
regarded as schooling costs.
Institutions:
Ministry of Education and Research Munga 18 , 50088 Tartu Tel.:372 7350 222 Fax:372 7350 250 E-mail: hm@hm.ee
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