14 - Estonia - Progression of students
Since the academic year 2003/2004, at an institution offering higher
education, studies may be undertaken in the form of full-time study,
part-time study or external study. The provisions of the Adult
Education Act concerning formal education apply to students in
part-time study and to external students; such provisions mainly deal
with the right to get study leave.
In full-time study, a student
shall cumulatively complete at least 75% of the study load required by
the curriculum to be completed by the end of each academic year, and in
part-time study – less than 75%. The first year when a student enrols
at a higher education institution, he or she shall decide whether he or
she will study full-time or part-time, unless only full-time study may
be conducted according to the curriculum. In the following academic
years, the higher education institution shall base its decision of
whether the student is studying full-time or part-time on the student’s
completion of the study load required by the curriculum to be completed
by the end of each academic year. The higher education institution
transfers a student who does not meet the requirements of full-time
study to part-time study and may demand reimbursement of study costs.
The
council of a university establishes the general rules of study
activities, as well conditions and procedures for dismissal of students
from the university.
In case of institutions of professional
higher education, the conditions and procedures for dismissal of
students from the institution are established by the regulation of the
minister who directs the ministry under whose area of administration
the institution of professional higher education belongs. An
institution of professional higher education may initiate the dismissal
due to lack of progress of a student who studies according to the
curriculum where only full-time study may be conducted and who has not
completed the curriculum to the required extent by the end of an
academic year, or a student who studies in part-time study and has not
completed the minimum studies required by the curriculum for part-time
study. A student may be dismissed also for other reasons (for example,
the failure to pass one and the same examination or assessment three
times, failure to pay the tuition fee by the deadline in the case of
student places beyond state-commissioned education).
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009