Tuition for non-traditional programs at state schools not unconstitutional

The Constitutional Tribunal has decided that state-run institutions of higher education charging tuition for extramural and evening courses do not violate the Constitution. The verdict, awaited not only by students but also by the government and Education Ministry, brings comfort to the latter as now the Ministry will have clear interpretation of the law and will know how to deal with similar cases in the future. The case was raised by Jacek Babka, a former law student at Wroclaw University expelled after not paying his tuition bill. The student charged that such tuition violates the Constitutional guarantee of free public education for everyone. According to the Tribunal, the Constitution does not say education must be free, and maintains that without charging tuition schools would have smaller budgets, thus limiting access to education for other students. However, the Tribunal has also imposed several restrictions on tuition. The total number of students admitted to a state institution's non-traditional tuition programs cannot exceed the number of those who study for free. In addition, tuition should not be a source of income for the school, but should cover the cost of educating the student. The quality of teaching in both kinds of programs should be the same. (Gazeta Wyborcza, P. 11)