# tuition

/tjuˈɪʃən/ (US) · /tjuːˈɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tuition
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. money paid for education

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

the money you pay to a school, college, or university for your education.

For teachers: the fee charged for instruction at an educational institution, particularly in higher education.

- The university decided to increase tuition for the next academic year.
- Rising tuition costs have forced many students to seek part-time employment or take out substantial loans to cover their degrees.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun or as part of the compound 'tuition fees'.

### 2. teaching or instruction

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

teaching or training, especially when it is done for one person or a small group.

For teachers: the act or process of providing instruction, typically in a private or small-group setting.

- She needed extra tuition in maths to pass her final exams.
- The school provides individual tuition for students who require additional support with their literacy skills.

Usage: Commonly used in the UK and Ireland to refer to the teaching itself rather than the cost.

### 3. private classes

noun · CEFR B2 · Dialect

private lessons that you pay for outside of your regular school hours.

For teachers: supplementary private classes or tutoring sessions taken outside of the formal school system.

- Many children go to tuition after school to prepare for their national exams.
- The demand for private tuition has created a competitive industry of learning centres catering to ambitious students.

Teaching tip: This sense is particularly common in Singapore, Malaysia, and India, where 'tuition' often refers to after-school coaching centres.

### 4. care or guardianship

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

the act of looking after or protecting someone.

For teachers: the state of being under the care, protection, or guardianship of another.

- The young orphan was placed under the tuition of a local nobleman.
- In the historical manuscript, the author describes his early years spent under the strict tuition of his uncle.

## Examples

- The university raised its tuition for the next semester.
- Many students rely on loans or scholarships to cover the rising cost of tuition and housing.
- While the lecture halls were crowded, the small-group tuition provided by the teaching assistants allowed for a much deeper exploration of the complex theoretical material.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.