Budget or paid place – what's the difference?

Budget place

On a budget place the state pays for your studies. These places go to applicants with the highest admission score, so popular programs are very competitive.

You can only have one budget place at a time.

Paid place

On a paid place you pay the tuition yourself (or with a study loan). Usually you pay for each semester before it starts, and many schools let you pay in parts. The classes and the diploma are exactly the same as for budget students.

Some programs also have co-funded places – the state pays part of the fee and you pay the rest.

Rotation: places can change

Budget places aren't forever. Usually once a year they're reviewed: with weak grades or failed courses you can lose your budget place, and the best paying students can get one. So even if you start on a paid place, good grades can move you to a budget one.

What it means when applying

• ✓Budget and paid places are usually separate choices – you can apply for both in the same program.
• ✓If you're not sure about a budget place, put the budget place as a higher priority and the paid place lower.
• ✓Before choosing a paid place, add up the total cost for all years of study – KurTālāk shows it on the program page.

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