Portugal Immigration Economy: According to Portuguese media reports, tuition fees for international students at various universities in Portugal generally range from 2,000 euros to 7,000 euros, with the majority of students coming from other Portuguese-speaking countries and Asian nations.
According to statistics, a total of 594 international students are pursuing bachelor's degrees at universities and polytechnic institutes in Portugal. The annual tuition for these students ranges from 2,000 euros to 7,000 euros, which is significantly higher than the tuition for domestic students (1,065 euros).
There are also international students who come to Portuguese universities to pursue doctoral and master's degrees. Because these two types of degree programs are at a higher level than undergraduate studies, the fees are also more expensive; consequently, the tuition paid by these students has become an important source of financial revenue.
When the EEI regulation regarding international students was passed, the government emphasized to various schools that they should "set tuition fees based on the actual costs of the degree programs." At the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, tuition fees are generally 2,000 to 3,000 euros. Tuition at the University of Minho and the University of Coimbra is more expensive (between 4,500 and 7,000 euros). Doctoral and master's programs at the ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon can cost as much as 8,000 euros.
One year after the passage of the EEI regulation, data collected by the Diário de Notícias shows that while tuition fees for international students have become more expensive, the number of students has not decreased. In fact, schools are constantly prepared to "compete" for these important international students in order to maintain a balanced budget.
Nuno Ferreira, Vice President of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, emphasized to Diário de Notícias reporters at a press conference: "This is a source of revenue for the university. But international students have become highly sought after because the tuition they pay is very high."
Although the opening of international student programs is still in its early stages, Portuguese universities and polytechnic institutes have already deployed strategies to attract students from countries outside the European region. Current methods include: teaching in English, strengthening promotion in international education, and studying foreign education systems. So far, most students coming to Portugal for doctoral and master's degrees are from other Portuguese-speaking countries (such as Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique) and Portuguese immigrant communities (the United States, Venezuela). In addition, there is China, which is one of the destinations Chinese students consider when pursuing higher degrees abroad.
Diário de Notícias asked several public universities and institutes about the number of international students following the opening of the EEI regulation. The answer received was that there are currently more than 600 international students enrolled in undergraduate programs alone, in addition to dozens of students pursuing master's degrees. This is not the final figure, as some international students who are still applying have not been included in the statistics. Some universities did not respond to the survey, such as the Polytechnic Institute of Porto and the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, so the final number will be far greater than 600.
The EEI regulation passed last January stipulates that international students do not need to take national exams if they wish to study in Portugal. The regulation also sets a total quota for international students based on the growth of Portuguese students. This figure is not yet known, but it already exceeded 7,000 last year.
However, Nuno Ferreira believes that the actual number of international students is far from the stipulated cap: "This regulation was announced too late, and the various institutes were unable to adjust their policies in time, which resulted in the entire last year being wasted."
This year, the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra will have 220 international students enrolled in undergraduate programs and more than 180 international students pursuing master's degrees. The Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra is one of the schools that uses English for instruction, though it also has Portuguese-language programs. The Portuguese-language programs are attended more by international students whose native language is Portuguese, such as students from India and Nepal. The institute mainly offers courses in engineering, tourism, and management.
Many students want to apply to the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre. In order to limit the number of students, the institute signed an agreement last week: international students must pass the Portuguese university entrance exam to be admitted.
The University of Coimbra enrolled 196 international students this year in the fields of law, politics, and languages, with tuition fees as high as 7,000 euros. Its main Portuguese-language study markets are Brazil and China. Joaquim Ramos de Carvalho, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department, stated: "Our main recruitment targets are Chinese students and students from other Portuguese-speaking countries, as they have important strategic value for future recruitment."