In statements made to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, PCP parliamentary leader Paula Santos emphasized that tuition fees constitute “an obstacle in accessing and attending higher education,” highlighting that many students end up not applying or completing their studies due to the “high costs” associated with attending a university.
“Therefore, this announcement by the Government means leaving behind students in our country who do not have the economic means to bear the high costs of attending higher education,” she stated.
For Paula Santos, the announcement of the unfreezing of tuition fees from the 2026-2027 academic year “represents a setback,” and she stressed the need for the Government to clarify its “intentions and policy choices.”
“Because, in practice, increasing tuition fees means further elitization of higher education in our country,” she accused.
The PCP parliamentary leader found it curious that the Government announced the intention to unfreeze tuition fees on the same day it “presented a study on school social action,” which Paula Santos pointed out is “insufficient” and “far from what would be necessary to ensure equal conditions” for higher education students.
Paula Santos also noted the significance of the announcement coming in a year when fewer students were placed in higher education, and “of those placed, about four thousand did not enroll.”
The deputy argued that what is needed is “to move towards the gratuity” of higher education and not to “create difficulties, obstacles” and a higher education system only “for those who have economic conditions,” considering that the unfreezing of tuition fees is conducted “contrary to the Constitution,” which enshrines the right to education.
“Access to higher education must be ensured for all students who wish to pursue it, and therefore, this is the context in which the PCP is submitting this request to demand answers from the Government, but above all, to confront it with its policy choices,” she stated.
The Government will unfreeze, starting in the 2026/2027 academic year, the value of bachelor’s degree tuition fees, which have remained unchanged since 2020 and will increase from 697 to 710 euros, announced the Minister of Education this Tuesday.
“The Government will also include in the State Budget Law proposal for 2026 the update of bachelor’s degree tuition fees based on the 2025 inflation rate,” announced Fernando Alexandre.
The minister was speaking at the end of a session presenting the final report of the evaluation study of the social action system in higher education, which took place at Teatro Thalia in Lisbon.
