tuition

American  

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

noun

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

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

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

They must complete 2,300 hours of unpaid clinical practice - including on‑call shifts - while paying tuition fees and placement travel expenses.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

For families that can’t afford preschool tuition, the options in many states are limited.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But as free and low-cost routes like community colleges and union apprenticeships fill up, more students are turning to more costly private options, where tuition can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

According to data collected by the Economic Policy Institute, childcare for one infant costs more than public college tuition in 38 states.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

It’d be terrible timing to lose her job, with all the physical therapy she needs after her accident on top of her daughter’s mounting tuition.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera