Taking free uni entrance exams costs a packet

Some parents are ready to pay up to 50% of their monthly salary so that their children can better prepare for university entrance exams, according to official surveys and experts’ estimations.

State education in Greece may be free, but parents spent over €3 billion annually on their children’s education in 2020, according to studies. Much of that was spent specifically on high school students preparing for entrance exams, either through private lessons or cramming schools, locally known as ‘frontistiria.’

Spending on tutoring can vary between €4,000 – €8,000 per school year. Some parents who spend that money are getting by on monthly salaries of €1,000. The quality of public schools has long been blamed, but experts say the reason is mainly psychological: students and their parents feel they must keep up with the competition.

National university entrance exams start June 3.