CAIRO—Costs associated with attending Egypt’s “free” public universities often make higher education a financial burden for the nation’s poor, restricting opportunities for equality in higher learning, a study found.

Books, tutoring and transportation—among a slew of other expenses—cost Egyptian public university students $658 to $1,054 a year (5,000 to 8,000 Egyptian pounds), according to research conducted by the Population Council, a U.S.-based organization with an office in Egypt.

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