Scholarships for higher education students should support those in social difficulties, Delfi told University of Latvia (LU) Rector Indrikis Muiznieks. He supports the call of the Turiba University to extend scholarships to everyone, including those who do not study at public expense.
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It has already been reported that On August 11, the government approved the changes – starting from September, the amount of scholarships was doubled to 200 euros per month and the number of beneficiaries was expanded by approximately 743 students. True, only students in budget places can apply for them.
In response to the decision, the university »Wealth“called for a broader range of scholarship recipients:” The pandemic caused by Covid-19 can affect the income of every student, regardless of whether the student is studying at their own expense or from the state budget, so it would not be appropriate to support only one group of students. “
The Rector of the University of Latvia also agrees. “The scholarship is undoubtedly, perhaps even crucial, for a student who has to work in parallel, who is studying for a fee and who has had some problems with work as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Muižnieks told the Delfi portal.
“The question is what we want to achieve with scholarships. If we just want to support the most successful students in budget places, then we lose this social dimension a lot, because in fact such a scholarship is often not very important for a student supported by wealthy or secure parents,” Delfi “explained Muižnieks. According to him, scholarships should be extended to all students, focusing on the social aspect. On the other hand, as for students with excellent results, they can apply for LU Foundation scholarships, such as the Kristaps Morberg Scholarship and others.
Or IZM the support provided is sufficient? The landlord points out that it is necessary to increase the number of scholarships and their recipients. In addition, changes are needed not only during the Covid-19 crisis, but in general, the rector of the University of Latvia believes.
After Ministry of Education and Science According to the Ministry of Education and Science, a total of 79,388 students study in Latvian higher education institutions, of which 41% or 32,787 study for the state budget, but 59% or 46,601 pay for their studies themselves.
Already postedthat spring Latvian Students’ Union (LSA) in the online campaign “#I Want to Study” with photos and stories even why they want to study and their learning experience, drew attention to the need for additional support during Covid-19. A survey conducted by the LSA showed that almost 10,000 students could drop out due to the consequences of the virus. Then the scholarship fund for the increase in 2020/2021. In the school year, the government allocated 5.1 million euros. Regarding the support provided by the Ministry of Education and Science, the president of the association Justine Shirin explained to the portal “Delfi” that the new changes are a compromise solution. Namely, initially the LSA called for the introduction of social scholarships, which are granted to all students who have encountered problems, and in parallel, to increase state budget scholarships.
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