tuition

American  

[too-ish-uhn, tyoo-] / tuˈɪʃ ən, tju- /

noun

• tuitions
  plural

1. the charge or fee for instruction, as at a private school or a college or university.

   The college will raise its tuition again next year.

2. teaching or instruction, as of pupils.

   a school offering private tuition in languages.

3. Archaic. guardianship or custody.

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tuition British  

/ tjuːˈɪʃən /

noun

1. instruction, esp that received in a small group or individually

2. the payment for instruction, esp in colleges or universities

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-tuition
  noun
• tuitional
  adjective
• tuitionary
  adjective
• tuitionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tuitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tuition

1250–1300; Middle English tuicion a looking after, guarding < Latin tuitiōn- (stem of tuitiō ), equivalent to tuit ( us ) (past participle of tuērī to watch; cf. tutelage) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Tuition is a fee paid for instruction or teaching, usually for higher education. Many students need to get part-time jobs to pay their college tuition. The word tuition comes from the Anglo-French word tuycioun, meaning "protection, care, custody." Some people say college protects you from the "real world," at least while you are in school, but tuition is a reality all students face. Tuition can describe any payment made for instruction, however, even for a knitting class. That tuition can probably be covered without student loans or scholarships, though.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tuition tuitions

She attended Pasadena City College, where she studied film production, then used the residuals from the show to help pay for her tuition at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The earnings grow tax-free, and withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified education expenses, like tuition, books, and room and board.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Many spend years preparing and tens of thousands of rupees on private tuition.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Lomonaco and the restaurant’s owners formed Windows of Hope, a charitable foundation that raised more than $22 million to pay for healthcare and tuition costs for the children of the victims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

James discovered that seventeen dollars wasn't enough to cover his tuition, room, and meals.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

After younger boomers finished college, access to government student loans expanded, tuitions rose and loan balances soared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

The program allows businesses to receive tax credits on donations that go toward the private and religious school tuitions of mostly low-income students.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 12, 2023

Student borrowing for college, trade school and graduate work has skyrocketed in the last two decades, in large part due to soaring tuitions.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2022

That question can be especially fraught with culinary school, where tuitions are usually high but starting wages for restaurant workers tend to be low.

From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2022

I knew that when next term’s tuitions were set, I would end up paying for my sudden, largely unexplained absence.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss