ECTS
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System — a common credit system. A full academic year is typically 60 ECTS (Bachelor’s ≈ 180, Master’s ≈ 120).
16 terms explained
Glossary
Quick definitions of the fees, documents and terms you’ll meet when applying to a European university.
Bachelor / Master / PhD
The three-cycle degree structure: undergraduate (first cycle), postgraduate (second cycle) and doctoral (third cycle).
Semester fee (Semesterbeitrag)
A mandatory contribution many “tuition-free” universities charge per semester, covering administration, student services and often a public-transport ticket.
Students’ union fee (ÖH fee)
The compulsory Austrian students’ union contribution (approx. €24.70 per semester) paid even when tuition is €0.
CVEC
The French “Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus”, a small mandatory campus-life contribution added to tuition.
ISEE
The Italian income indicator used to calculate income-based university tuition.
Propina
The Portuguese term for the maximum annual public-university tuition fee, set nationally and indexed.
State-funded place
A government-funded study place (used in the Nordics, Baltics, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc.) that is free of tuition and usually allocated by merit.
Conditional tuition-free
Free only under a condition — most often the language of instruction (study in the national language) or staying within the regular study duration.
Nostrification
The recognition of a foreign school-leaving or higher-education qualification by the host country’s authorities (used in Czechia, Slovakia, etc.).
Legalisation / apostille
Official confirmation that a document is authentic, often required for foreign certificates (e.g. Poland, Bulgaria).
Declaration of value / CIMEA
Italian mechanisms to assess and compare a foreign qualification.
uni-assist
A central service used by many German universities to check international credentials before admission.
EEA
European Economic Area — the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. EEA and Swiss citizens share the EU tuition rules described here.
Erasmus+
The EU programme supporting study, training and exchanges across European countries.
Academic year 2026/2027
The academic year in focus in this database; some national sources still quote 2025/2026 until the authorities update them.
Always verify. Tuition rules may change. Always verify current fees and admission requirements on the university's official website before applying.