Adonis Americanos: How tuition fees and cost of living shape Cypriots’ studying choices

With the exception of Greece, which remains at its traditional levels or even somewhat increased, young students’ interest in studying at EU universities and in the UK seems to be reduced this year, according to the Chairman of the Cyprus Association of Educational Consultants (CAEC), Dr. Adonis Americanos.

As a result, interest in Cypriot, public and private, universities is increasing, with the financial cost seeming to be one of the main factors contributing to this trend.

Speaking to InBusinessNews about the options Cypriot students have ahead of the new year and invited to present the profile of Cypriot students in the UK, Dr. Americanos said that, traditionally, there are a number of students who choose to study at the best universities in the Russell Group category e.g. University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL and LSE, as well as at the best universities in Scotland (University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and University of St Andrews).

These are universities with very high tuition fees, which are aimed at students who are not facing financial hardship and who want to study in the best universities in the world.

According to Dr. Americanos, for this specific category there is interest, as these are students are coming out of private schools and have always had the exclusive goal of being admitted to one of these universities.

At the same time, there is also a category of students who are looking for options among the approximately 10 universities - there are some worthy options - that continue to, even today, offer the lower tuition fees (home fees) enjoyed by the British, amounting to £9,250.

Finally, there are students who, for their own personal or family reasons, want to study in specific large cities, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, etc. which do not have the high cost of living that London does.

A decrease has also been observed in interest in London universities, which, however, as mentioned above, does not concern students in a good financial situation.

For the other cities, while interest may be reduced, their rates, however, remain at the same levels as before if compared to that of London. In absolute numbers, however, there is a decrease compared to previous years. This reduction is expected to widen when the students who hold pre-settlement status and who enjoy the lower tuition fees at most universities in the UK and not only at the 10 mentioned above, graduate.

Cost of living and tuition fees

Referring to the annual cost of living for a student, Dr. Americanos set it on a scale between €12,000 and €20,000, depending on the city. In contrast, the range of tuition fees at UK universities is wider, starting from £9,250 and going up to £35,000 for most degree programmes with medicine ranging from around £45,000 to £50,000.

The same applies to other cities in the EU in which the annual cost of living for a student ranges between €12,000, in some cheaper cities or some Eastern European countries, and €20,000, in some more expensive locations, such as some Dutch cities. These numbers also exclude the capitals, such as Paris and Amsterdam, where costs are higher.

The Netherlands

As for the Netherlands, which became a key choice for Cypriot students after Brexit, interest to study there has also been reduced, although it is still among the students' options, for two main reasons.

The first, according to Dr. Americanos, is the difficulty of completing the studies, since it requires hard work on the part of the students, in a different system, which Cypriot students are not used to, and the second is the difficulty of finding accommodation, despite the fact that lately the situation has improved, due to the decrease in student interest.

There are several universities that attract interest in the Netherlands, but the most attractive is the University of Groningen, followed by others, such as: VU University Amsterdam, Utrecht University, Maastricht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Amsterdam, etc.

Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and many of the former Eastern countries are also major destinations for Cypriot students.

Great deal for medicine

Dr. Americanos particularly focused on the great deal that exists abroad for English-language medical studies programmes – including Greece, which as of this year is also offering a fourth English-language option with the University of Thessaly in Larissa.

The options for studying medicine in Western countries with public schools offering English-language programs are limited, with the first options (Ireland, England and the Netherlands) being the most difficult.

Therefore, as noted, due to the great interest recorded in studying medicine, Italy is the country that attracts many students, while an alternative option is provided by the countries of central or eastern Europe, which offer several and worthy options such as Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and others.

Zero fees

Asked about the countries that offer studies with zero tuition fees, Dr. Americanos pointed to the Nordic countries, noting, however, the high cost of living they have.

Other affordable options are the Netherlands, where tuition fees are €2,300 and Italy, where tuition fees are dependent on the student's family income and may amount, for example, to €1,000, €2,000 or even €3,000.

Of course, the financial aspect is not the only main factor in choosing a university, he mentioned. The most important is the quality and ranking of the university, while other factors that are taken into account are the amenities offered by each city, the presence of other Cypriots and the climatic conditions, Dr. Americanos explained, adding that it is difficult to find a location offering all the criteria sought by students.

At the same time, he called on the students to start the selection procedures for their studies early on, since the deadlines for European universities expire early.

Greek universities

Regarding Greek universities, Dr. Americanos expressed the opinion that Cypriots will begin to search and choose universities which, traditionally, were not among their choices.

"There are too many positions that remain unexploited and my prediction is that we will slowly start to take advantage of other worthy positions in small towns in Greece with a good standard of living and a good student life beyond Athens and Thessaloniki," he said.

Good work is also being done by the private universities in Cyprus and the dilemma of many students and their families is between choosing Greece, where they will have to pay living expenses and zero fees, or Cyprus, where they will pay fees and either live in their parents' house or bear the cost of rent or daily commuting outside their city.

In any case, the financial constraints of many households is an important factor in their decision, he concluded.

(Source: InBusinessNews)