TUITION FEE REDUCTION 

All families of students from Bulgarian schools who have successfully passed the Entrance exam and are offered admission to the American College of Sofia may apply for a tuition fee reduction. To do so, families submit documents using a standard application form, which are reviewed by a committee. The tuition reduction amount is determined individually for each family.

We believe that every successfully admitted candidate should have the opportunity to study at the College.

The tuition fee reduction at the American College is granted solely based on demonstrated financial need. The percentage of reduction is determined separately for each year of study, with the leading criterion being the family's financial situation.

All families applying for a tuition fee reduction are invited to provide information regarding:

• Family status and number of family members;
• Profession and position held by the parents;
• Total income for the previous year and for the last months of the current year – five or six, depending on whether they are new or returning students;
• Information on additional income received from other sources, such as rents, inherited and donated income/property, investment income, income from participation in companies, alimony, sale of real estate and vehicles, etc.;
• Family savings;
• Real estate owned by the family;
• Vehicles owned;
• Information about family businesses, if any, including distributed dividends;
• Information on family trips over the past 2 years;
• Medical issues in the family, if appropriate;
• Information about the schools attended by other children in the family.

The schedule for the tuition fee reduction program is published together with the exam results. There you will find the deadlines and comprehensive information about the necessary application documents for the program.

KEY FACTS AND FIGURES:

• For the 2025/2026 academic year, 2,547,073 BGN have been allocated to our students' families.
• This year, we managed to secure a tuition fee reduction for nearly 85% of all applying families.
• The reduction in the annual tuition fee ranges from 10% to 90%.
• We offer several full five-year scholarships that cover costs for the entire period of study, as well as partial scholarships, which are funded by trustees, alumni, parents, and friends of the College.
• Families of students who are not from Sofia can apply for an additional tuition fee reduction to reflect their accommodation costs in Sofia.
• The tuition fee includes all academic and extracurricular activities, as well as study materials, a laptop, consultation from a team of academic advisors for university applications abroad, and access to all sports facilities and academic laboratories of the College.
• 264 is the number of students receiving a tuition fee reduction for the 2024-2025 academic year.
• The funds for tuition fee reduction include donations from private individuals and foundations.

Q: What does the tuition fee include? 

A: The tuition fee covers the cost of instruction and materials, such as a personal Chromebook, as well as the use of school laboratories, libraries, and sports facilities. The fee does not include food, transportation, school trips, or other additional expenses.

Q: What is the dormitory fee? 

A: The dormitory fee is determined annually by the Board of Trustees. The fee covers three meals a day in the school cafeteria on weekdays, internet, laundry, room cleaning, and more. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the dormitory fee for Bulgarian citizens is €6,100.

Q: What are the criteria for the tuition fee reduction? 

A: The American College of Sofia's tuition fee reduction program supports families with demonstrated financial need. The committee reviews in detail the submitted documents regarding the family's income and assets. The assessment is made individually for each applicant, adhering to criteria for maximum objectivity. The committee's deliberations on tuition fee reduction are not publicly disclosed, as the information provided about the family's financial and asset status is strictly confidential. It is important that the tuition fee reduction form is completed as thoroughly as possible and that all necessary supporting documents are provided. If you have additional information related to your financial situation that is outside or differs from that in the standard documents presented, we encourage you to attach it in the form of a declaration signed by a parent.

Q: How will the non-submission of any of the required documents affect our application for a tuition fee reduction? 

A: Incomplete documentation may lead to a committee decision that does not meet your needs for a tuition fee reduction.

Q: How can we be sure that the information about the family's income that we attach to the tuition fee reduction application will remain confidential? 

A: The information you submit is personal and protected by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) EC 2016/679 and the Personal Data Protection Act. The American College, as a personal data administrator, is obliged to process the information you provide solely for the purpose of determining the amount of the tuition fee reduction and concluding and executing an additional agreement to the study contract for the tuition fee reduction.

Q: Can we retrieve the documents attached to the tuition fee reduction form after the committee's decision on the tuition fee reduction is announced? 

A: The package of documents for the tuition fee reduction is not subject to return after review by the committee. The American College stores the documents submitted by applicants to substantiate the decision made regarding the granting/refusal of the tuition fee reduction. The storage is carried out in compliance with the provisions of applicable law.

Q: For what period is the tuition fee reduction approved? 

A: The application for a tuition fee reduction is made separately for each academic year. Full scholarships are granted for the entire 5-year study period, provided the average academic achievement requirement is met.

Q: Can we receive a tuition fee reduction if a sponsor (individual or legal entity) pays our child's tuition fee? 

A: The fact that the tuition fee will be paid by a sponsor will be taken into account when reviewing your application for a tuition fee reduction. Provided that an individual or legal entity pays part of the tuition fee, the family may apply for a reduction on the remainder of the fee that is not financed by a sponsor. The application procedure is the same as for families applying for a reduction of the full amount of the fee. Provided that the full amount of the tuition fee is paid by a sponsor, the family is not eligible to apply for a tuition fee reduction.

Q: Is there a fee reduction when a second child from the family enrolls in the College? 

A: The presence of more than one student in the College is not a sufficient condition for a tuition fee reduction. To have the fee reduced, the family must have a demonstrated financial need and participate in the tuition fee reduction procedure separately for each child.

Q: If the family has children who are over 18 years of age but are not working and/or are students and depend on the income of the College student's parents, should they be included as family members? 

A: Children over 18 years of age are not included as family members when filling out the tuition fee reduction form.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS:

Q: What documents are required to certify parental income in case the parents only work under an employment contract and have not filed an annual tax declaration under Art. 50 of the Income Taxes on Individuals Act? 

A: Official notes from the employer for the net income received under the employment contract are attached to the tuition fee reduction application. In this case, it is mandatory to declare that the person has not filed an annual tax declaration under Art. 50 of the ITIA by entering "NO" in column No. 5 of the table under item 3.1. of the application form for tuition fee reduction.

Q: What documents are required when parents are divorced? 

A: All documents described in the form for the custodial parent, a copy of the court decision for the divorce, and a declaration of the amount of the monthly alimony that the other parent paid during 2023 and the first three months of 2024, signed by both parents. If the parent to whom the student's custody has been awarded is currently married or cohabiting, the form must include full information on the income of the household in which the student lives.

Q: What documents are required from an unemployed parent? 

A: An official note from the Labor Bureau, which contains accurate information about the period of unemployment, as well as a certificate from the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) for the amount of compensation received. We will also accept another document issued through a PIC code from the NSSI systems, containing the required information mentioned above.

Q: What documents are required when a parent has been on extended sick leave (for a period longer than 10 days)? 

A: A document issued by the NSSI, certifying the exact period of temporary incapacity for work, as well as the amount of compensation paid for that period.

Q: How is income from the beginning of the current year certified for parents who have their own sole proprietorship, practice a liberal profession, or have a share in a company/firm under the Commercial Law? 

A: A personally signed declaration is required for the net income that the family has realized from their business activity since the beginning of the current year.

Q: What documents are required in case the parents have a registered sole proprietorship or have a share in a company/firm under the Commercial Law that has not yet filed an ANNUAL TAX DECLARATION (ATD) under Art. 92 of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CITA) for 2023? 

A: In this case, it is mandatory to prepare and attach the Statement of Income and Expenses and the Balance Sheet of the company for 2023, as well as a draft of the 2023 ATD under Art. 92 of the CITA, certified with the signature of the preparer and the Manager and a company seal.

Q: What documents are required in case the parents have a registered sole proprietorship or have a share in a company/firm under the Commercial Law that has not carried out any activity in 2023? 

A: In this case, it is mandatory to declare this fact by marking the "NO" box with an "X" in response to the question in item 2 of the tuition fee reduction application form regarding whether the parent's company "had activity in 2023."