European countries are bit expensive for international students; but there are some countries which are less costly than others. Latvia is among one of them. Student cities in Latvia are affordable for students. Cost of living however depends on the lifestyle and the location where the student is studying and residing.
Expenses to study in Latvia:
Pre departure expenses:
Before flying to Latvia there are many expenses which have to be paid to pursue the admission formalities. These include:
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Passport fees if passport is not prepared
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Application process fees
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Resident permit fees
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Visa fees
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If required Language proficiency test fees.
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Expenses on the formulation and processing of other required documents
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Advance Tuition fees as required by the institution
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Air Fare charges
NOTE: The above mentioned charges subject to change according to the current situations therefore check the valid and relevant website to learn about the present charges,
Expenses after reaching Latvia:
Generally a budget of 500 Euro to 700 Euro per month is quite enough to complete the month with all basic facilities and amenities. For dormitory resident students the cost becomes lower. Private accommodations are obviously expensive to live then you will need more money. If an apartment or flat costs you 461 Euro per month then shared accommodations like dorms or hotels are one third less costly.
The average living in Latvia costs between 400-800 Euro including
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Accommodation
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Transportation
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Utility bills
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Food
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General Spending
This consolidated per month budget is divided into the following expenditures. International students in Latvia try their best to spend as low as they could to save their money for future academic expenses.
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Food around 90 Euros
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Housing and utilities around 50 Euros
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Transport around 40 Euros
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Entertainment around 30Euros
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Health around 20 Euros
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Communication around 20 Euros
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Outside dining around 20 Euros
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Clothing and other accessories around 20 Euros
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Other expenses around 30-40 Euros depending upon your lifestyle.
Academic Expenses:
Tuition Fee varies according to the study program and institution. The range is from less than 1,600 EUR per year in certain bachelor’s degree programs which is completed in 3-4 years. It could be 15,000 EUR per year for a Dentistry program (5 years) or around 26.000 EUR for Executive MBA. The following list will provide you an average tuition fee for each of the professional degree program.
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Medical studies: 8000 to 15000 Euros
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Business and management: 3000-7000 Euros
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Information technology and relevant subjects: 2000-4000 Euros
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Engineering and technology:3000-5000 Euros
For Masters Program the tuition fees can go up to 4000 Euros per year.
Academic expenses also includes: thesis fee, photocopies and money spend on stationeries etc.
Most of the Pakistani or international students are studying on scholarships therefore they don’t have to pay a good portion on their academics. Some scholarships also include the accommodation cost in their package.
Health insurance cost:
It is mandatory to get a health insurance for the entire planned period of stay in the Republic of Latvia. The health insurance policy guarantee coverage of health care expenses associated with health care provision in the Republic of Latvia, including expenses associated with return travel to one's country of origin in case of serious health problems. The minimum coverage should not be less than 42,600 EUR.
Scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students:
International students can also apply for ‘Study Scholarships’ to pursue their undergraduate, master and PhD degree. Current scholarships are available to international students for the academic year 2017-2021.The Latvian state scholarship for studies is provided with the following amounts
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Bachelor`s and Master`s students – 500 EUR per month;
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PhD students – 670 EUR per month.
Remember all study programs in English at Latvian higher education institutions are not free of charge. The student should check for the study programs that are offering scholarships. The Latvian scholarship holder can use the scholarship to cover the expenses of tuition fee and generally also for accommodation and meals. It should be noted that the amount of the scholarship could not cover all expenses while living in Latvia.
