I assume tertiary education is the same as higher education(?). It is almost free here in Norway. There's an entrance fee of about 100 dollars each semester which gets you your semester card, but that's all you really have to pay. In addition, you can get a students loan from the government and, if you pass your exams, you only have to pay back 60%. So, if you get 50 000 dollars student loan over the years, that means the government will have given you 20 000 dollars unless you've been a lazy ass with your studies.

What you have to do to qualify for a specific education depends on what education you're getting. Some previous education in natural sciences may be required f.ex if you want to study biology, for example some high school equivalent courses in biology, physics or chemistry.

Getting into higher education is usually not hard unless you're talking med school which has many more applicants than they can take in.

edit :

As far as I know, there's a policy that all university courses shall be available in english. I've had a lot of foreign lecturers over the years. Just how good the english education is varies with lecturer, course and location .. Up in the arctic, they were very good at it!

Thanks for the help you two. :) The info you've given me is very useful.
It sounds crazy to my parents, but I'm actually considering studying abroad. Having to pay 80% of a loan as opposed to 20% interest just seems too appealing to pass up.
Again, thanks a bundle. :D

You're welcome :) I think you can get a lot from studying abroad aside from an education so it's definetly something to consider. I never did go abroad, but I did move to Svalbard to study which I would warmly recommend to anyone interested in arctic engineering, pollution, biology, geology, whatever!

Do you know what you're gonna study yet?

I can't wait for the world cup, mmmm... sweaty men in uniform

if anybody wants to know about life in Budapest then hit me up with Q's. i'm not a native but i've been living here almost 3 years now...

while i'm here i wonder if anyone has dual citizenship. always been curious about the idea.

someone ask me a question! i feel left out.

Brooklyn New York.
Been to Budapest Noise, great city.

I don't have a dual citizenship, but in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries that's quite common, since there are dual-citizenship treaties among them. There always have been very strong migrations in these countries. For instance, between Spain and Latin America, in both senses. And for example, a Latin American (including Brazilians) can acquire the Spanish citizenship (without renouncing the other one) after two years of legal residence in Spain.

i assume there is still an exam involved, or is it as simple as filling out a form?
i'm considering getting dual citizenship. i think that holding both a US passport and an EU passport would be very valuable in years to come...

In Spain, just the usual administrative paperwork and an oath of obedience to the Constitution. But I know in other European countries there are exams and other procedures. Anyway, what is sure is that once you have a EU country's nationality, you can freely travel, live or work in any other country of the Union with the same basic rights the locals have.