Free university tuition may sound like a worthy model but the question of whether or not it’s the best way to attract and keep foreign talent is never too far from public debate. As Finland’s plans to introduce fees take hold this year, Beckie Smith looks at current and former fee-free countries to see what the future may hold for this ideal.

Norway has claimed the top spot in this year’s international student satisfaction awards from StudyPortals, overtaking Ireland which came out on top last year, with 9.26 out of 10.

Norway has been named the cheapest country for UK students to study at a top-tier university according to new data from FairFX, travel money and international payment service provider. Australia meanwhile has been named the most expensive.

The Norwegian government is considering introducing tuition fees for international students from outside the EU and EEA alongside proposed cuts of 80.5m NOK (US$12m) in next year’s budget. However, it has faced parliamentary opposition and demonstrations against the proposal were held this week outside the University of Oslo.

In a move to get more Norwegians studying in developing countries, the government will offer substantial financial aid for a period of four as opposed to three years from next academic year. Grants and loans worth more than US$40,000 a year will be made available to stem stagnant interest in studying in countries such as Russia and China.