UTSU’s Positions on Higher Education Funding
The University of Tartu Student Union Stands firmly for the preservation of free higher education, as high-quality and accessible education is the cornerstone of Estonia’s culture, society, and security.
We believe that the shaping of higher education policy should be guided by the following values:
Estonian-language and Estonian-minded education
Estonian-language education is fundamental to preserving and advancing the Estonian language. Higher education bears the responsibility for maintaining and developing the language scientifically, enabling discussion of the most important societal issues of the 21st century in our mother tongue. In today’s globalised world, Estonian-language higher education is critically important for keeping the Estonian language and culture vibrant—both of which form the essential foundation of the state.
High-quality and competitive research
Restricting access to higher education encourages brain drain to neighbouring countries. When choosing between fee-based programmes, domestic education may lose its competitive edge. While broadening academic horizons abroad is encouraged, the higher education system must also support the return and retention of talent in Estonia. The academic future of Estonia depends on today’s and tomorrow’s students.
Accessibility of higher education
Accessible higher education is a driving force for social mobility and helps reduce societal stratification. The costs associated with obtaining a degree should not be a barrier to choosing a learning path. Rather than fostering an elitist education system, young people should be given the opportunity to shape their future regardless of their socio-economic background.
Broad-based security
Estonia’s security, both social and military, is the responsibility of every citizen. Higher education contributes to security directly by training competent professionals and indirectly by cultivating critical thinking, a culture of reasoned debate, and a science-based mindset. A well-educated population is better protected against propaganda and tactics of information warfare.
The positions on higher education funding approved by the student parliament of the University of Tartu Student Union on 14.11.2024 are as follows:
18.1 The financing of higher education is organised with the support of public and private sector contributions in such a way that the costs incurred by households do not hinder the acquisition of higher education. This is important to ensure that free higher education in Estonian is accessible to all, thereby also reducing socio-economic inequality.
18.2 State funding of higher education must increase to at least 1.5% of GDP. This is important to ensure that higher education in Estonia is of high quality and remains internationally competitive.
18.3 Universities and student unions shall work together to ensure the necessary funding for higher education to maintain and improve the quality of education and to ensure better access to support services. In addition, attention shall be paid to ensuring that both national and university-based structures are appropriate to the available resources and reasonably organised.
18.4 A student loan must be guaranteed to every student, its maximum rate must correspond to changes in the cost of living, the interest on the profit without Euribor must be no more than 1.9% in total, and the repayment must be linked to the financial situation of the graduate.
18.5 Access to higher education must also be encouraged through regional policy. This can be ensured, for example, by supporting the activities of county colleges and offering travel allowances to facilitate students' movement between their place of study and residence.
18.6 Based on the termination of the maintenance obligation arising from the Family Act upon reaching the age of 21, students must also be able to apply for needs-based study support as a household separate from their parents from the age of 21. In addition, the rate of needs-based study support must be in line with cost-of-living indicators.
18.7 It is necessary to create a functioning and sustainable scholarship system that supports students in every field of study. In addition to calculating the average grade, more consideration should be given to answers to open-ended questions that highlight the student's social activity and/or professional achievements.
18.8 The state must provide support to the private and public sectors to organise the creation and distribution of dormitory places in a way that adapts to the needs of students. The allocation of places in student housing must take into account the needs and possibilities of the applicant, while ensuring that all places are optimally filled.
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