Prague, Sept 24 (CTK) – Foreign students at Czech universities and colleges bring about one billion crowns to the state budget annually, according to an analysis of the Kredo project conducted by the Education Ministry and funded from EU subsidies.
This is the sum collected in VAT from the students’ spendings.
Dozens of thousands of foreign students at Czech higher education facilities spent about 4.5 billion crowns on their stay in 2014, according to estimates.
In 2014, 35,663 foreign students were studying at Czech public universities and colleges with the intention to complete the studies there. Data from private facilities are not available.
Other 11,500 arrived in the Czech Republic for exchange study stays at public and private universities. They spent six months on average in the country.
The average monthly expenditures of a Czech university student vary between 5000 and 15,000 crowns, including housing, food, travelling, culture and leisure time and clothing.
The analysis expects the foreign students’ expenditures not to differ very much. The estimated one billion crowns are calculated from the average sum.
Experts point out quite a low share of foreigners attending Czech universities and colleges. They make up a mere 9 percent, while a half of them are Slovaks.
They can use their mother tongue at Czech universities and study in Czech for free, thanks to an agreement between and Slovakia, which formed a joint state until 1993. Other foreigners must either study in the Czech language or pay for their studies in English.
The analysis shows that it is in the economic interest of the Czech Republic to attract more foreign students.
