Education in Luxembourg (enseignement)

Luxembourg's public school system is run by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENJE) and is multilingual: Luxembourgish, German and French all play a role, and English is taught in secondary school. About 47% of the population did not have Luxembourg nationality on 1 January 2025. Every child of compulsory school age must be enrolled, whatever the parents' status; no child can be refused. The school year runs from 15 September to 15 July.

Compulsory schooling and costs

• Start: school is compulsory for every child who is 4 years old before 1 September. The commune informs parents by 15 April and enrols the child automatically in a school near home. Children aged 3 can attend an optional early-education class (éducation précoce).
• End: compulsory schooling used to end on the 1 September after the 16th birthday. From the 2026/2027 school year it runs until age 18, for young people who were not yet 17 on 1 September 2026.
• Costs: public schools are free, including textbooks and transport. Care and lunches in maisons relais are free for school-age children during school periods.
• Choices: besides the national programme, public schools with a European curriculum offer English, French and German sections without registration fees, and some public secondary schools prepare for the International Baccalaureate. From 2026/2027, parents of pupils in cycle 1.2 can choose German or French as the language in which their child learns to read and write (programme ALPHA – zesumme wuessen), applied from 2027/2028.
• The School Integration and Reception Service (SIA) advises newly arrived families and helps place children.

Higher education and student aid

• The University of Luxembourg (founded in 2003) teaches in German, English and French. Check the registration fees for your programme on the university's website.
• State financial aid for higher education (AideFi) for 2026/2027 is paid per semester and combines grants and a loan:
  • basic grant: €1,289;
  • mobility grant (studying and renting outside your country of residence): €1,686;
  • grant based on social criteria: up to €2,500, depending on household income;
  • family grant: €307 (summer semester) if siblings also study;
  • student loan: €3,250 (full-time), at no more than 1.8% interest for the student, repaid over 10 years starting 2 years after studies end.
• Tuition fees can be added up to €3,800 a year (half grant, half loan). A €250 success bonus is planned for students who complete a programme with AideFi from 2026/2027.
• Deadlines: 30 November for the winter semester and 31 May for the summer semester.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• AideFi is not open to every resident. Third-country nationals generally need long-term resident status or international protection, or must be a family member of a Luxembourg national. EU citizens need a right of residence as workers, family members or permanent residents.
• The family allowance stops when a child starts higher education, so apply for AideFi in time.
• If you arrive during the school year, contact your commune or the SIA straight away to enrol your child.

Official guidance: MENJE: schooling of newly arrived pupils, Guichet.lu: enrolment in basic education, Guichet.lu: AideFi, MengStudien: AideFi amounts, MENJE: the education system, an overview 2026 (PDF)