08 - Lithuania - Financial support for students
The financial support system for students in higher education comprises study grants and loans.
Orphans and persons with disabilities are granted additional support. Besides, the citizens of Lithuania
can make use of the income tax incentive provided to students and/or their parents and recover part of
the tuition fee money. Financial support for students in higher education is regulated by the Law on
Higher Education.
The financial support system for students in higher education comprises study grants and loans.
Orphans and persons with disabilities are granted additional support. Besides, the citizens of Lithuania
can make use of the income tax incentive provided to students and/or their parents and recover part of
the tuition fee money. Financial support for students in higher education is regulated by the Law on
Higher Education.
Loans
Students of state and private higher education schools enrolled in undergraduate, integrated and the
second stage degree programmes are entitled to state loans of the following types: a loan to cover the
tuition fee if it has not been paid from the state budget, a loan to off-set living expenses, and a loan to
cover the cost of partial studies provided under international treaties and agreements. The state loan
programme is administered by the Lithuanian State Research and Higher Education Fund. All
students, upon submission of an application, are eligible for a loan. Loans to help pay living expenses
are available to both, state and private university students. They are awarded in accordance with the
competition based lists of HEI students. Priority is given to students from economically disadvantaged
families, orphans and disabled students. Both types of loans can be granted at the same time.
Persons
who have taken out a loan to cover the tuition fee must start making repayments and paying interest
on the loan not later than two years after graduation or termination of their studies. The loan must be
paid back in full within the period that is not longer than three times the length of the studies to cover
the tuition fee of which the loan was received. The term of repayment of a loan is related to the
monthly income of the person who had received it. Depending on the person’s social status the
repayment can be deferred or the loan can be cancelled.
Scholarship grants
Students enrolled in full-time undergraduate, integrated and the second stage of degree programmes
at state-run higher education institutions whose studies are fully or partially state-funded, i.e. students
who do not pay any tuition fee or paying a per semester fee are eligible for scholarship grants payable
each month. There are two types of scholarships available: scholarships awarded on the basis of
academic achievements (not exceeding LTL 325 (approximately 94 EUR)) and social scholarships (not
exceeding LTL 130 (approximately 38 EUR)). In awarding social scholarships, priority is given to
students: whose families are drawing social benefits; who come from one-parent families and do not
hold a job; who come from families with three or more children of up to 18 years of age and older in
full-time (day) departments of secondary, vocational schools or in higher education establishments,
who are a single parent themselves etc. Students, except for those who are granted an orphan’s
scholarship, are entitled to only one scholarship awarded by the scholarship fund.
The scholarship fund allocated to each HEI is administered by the HEI itself in coordination with
students’ self-governance bodies while the distribution of scholarships according to their types and the
procedure of granting a scholarship are regulated by the Regulations on Awarding Scholarships. A
major part of the scholarship fund is usually spent on scholarships awarded on the basis of academic
achievements.
All students following third stage degree programmes at state universities (doctoral students,
postgraduate art students and residency students) are awarded scholarships: LTL 764 (approx. 221
EUR) per month in their first year of study and LTL 884 (256 EUR) in all the other years of studies.
These scholarships are also paid from the university scholarship fund. Students following extramural
doctoral or postgraduate art study Meno aspirantūra programmes are not entitled to a scholarship.
Doctoral students who carry out extensive research are eligible for an additional scholarship paid from
the State Research and Higher Education Fund.
State scholarships are awarded to persons enrolled, under international treaties and agreements, in
higher education study programmes abroad.
Support for orphaned students
Full-time students not holding a job who had been in state care until they came of age or got married,
also, full-time students not holding a job whose both parents (or the single parent they had) are dead,
who are seeking a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree or a professional qualification for the first time are
awarded, during their time of studies and until they reach the age of 24, a monthly foster care benefit of
LTL 520 (approx. 150 EUR) (earlier called an "orphan’s allowance"). However, if an orphan or a
student who had lost parental care has been awarded an orphan’s pension, he/she is entitled to a
foster care benefit the size of which equals the difference between the established size of the benefit
and the size of the orphan’s pension. The benefits are paid out by municipalities. Besides, students of
this group qualify for a scholarship awarded on the basis of academic achievements.
Support to disabled students
Since the autumn term of 2006, disabled students seeking higher education, irrespective of the form of
studies, for whom category I or II invalidity, or severe or average disability, or 45% or lower disability
level has been established have enjoyed financial support provided they do not have any outstanding
failures and no disciplinary penalties have been imposed on them. It is not granted to those who have
enrolled in a study programme of the same stage for a second time. To meet the special needs of the
students, they are awarded a monthly benefit of LTL 133 (approx. 38 EUR) and, additionally, a special
allowance of LTL 416 (approx. 120 EUR) per semester to help cover part of the study cost.
Provision of this kind of support is coordinated by the Department for the Affairs of the Disabled under
the Ministry of Social security and Labour.
Income tax privilege
Article 21 of the Law on Personal Income Tax stipulates that starting with 2003, the expenses incurred
in a tax year (a calendar year) by following a course of studies upon completion of which a higher
education and/ (or) a qualification are acquired as well as the cost of doctoral, residency and
postgraduate art studies can be deducted from the taxable income. If the tuition fee was loan-based,
the part of the loan that has been repaid within the tax year can be deducted from the taxable income.
If a student cannot exercise this right, it can be granted to a family member.The financial support system for students in higher education comprises study grants and loans.
Orphans and persons with disabilities are granted additional support. Besides, the citizens of Lithuania
can make use of the income tax incentive provided to students and/or their parents and recover part of
the tuition fee money. Financial support for students in higher education is regulated by the Law on
Higher Education.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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