Swiss universities experiencing decline in international student enrollments post-fees increase?
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have announced changes in their tuition fees for the upcoming academic year, with the aim of compensating for lower federal contributions.
At ETH, international students will see a significant increase in their tuition fees, tripling from the current 730 francs per semester to 2,190 francs. Meanwhile, the tuition for international students at the EPFL will also rise, but will remain lower than at ETH.
Despite the tuition increase, both universities have reported that the number of new students for the academic year starting on September 18th (ETH) and September 15th (EPFL) has remained roughly the same as in 2024.
The EPFL has also implemented a cap on the number of new Bachelor's students from abroad, limiting admissions to 3,000 from 2025 to 2029. This cap is due to the institution's lecture halls being saturated, the student-faculty ratio rising, and the workload for support services expanding considerably.
However, the reason for the drop in the number of new Bachelor's students from France at the EPFL remains unclear. The university has stated that this cannot be attributed solely to the increased fees.
The government's financial aid to both public institutes has been sharply reduced, which is contributing to the need for increased tuition fees.
There have been concerns that the higher tuition fees may deter foreign students from studying at the ETH. However, so far, this has not seemed to be the case, as the number of new students has not been affected.
The EPFL has not specified the number of new Bachelor's students for this year, and no limit has been placed on the number of Swiss students at either institution.
In conclusion, both ETH and EPFL have implemented tuition increases for international students, with the aim of compensating for lower federal contributions. While there have been concerns about the impact on foreign enrolment, so far, the number of new students has remained stable. The long-term effects of these changes remain to be seen.
Read also:
- Inefficiencies in policy lead to increased disparities between Dhaka and other urban areas, according to urban analysts.
- Democrats in the United States are rejoicing over Kamala Harris' recent triumph
- Czech Casino Doxxbet candidly discusses its operations within the Czech Republic
- Urgent Action Needed to Ensure Voting Fairness - Weekly Advocacy Alert from Action Weekly Organization
