State Duma Committee Proposes to Increase Scholarship Fund

The State Duma Committee on Education proposed that the Russian government increase the scholarship fund in 2015. Vyacheslav Nikonov says that the first in line for a stipend increase should be: orphans, children left without parental care, children with disabilities, disabled groups I and II, students of Chernobyl, students who live in dormitories.

Today the stipend for higher education students is 1200 rubles (minimum amount), in turn college students receive 430 rubles. Member of the Duma Grigory Balykhin says that for 7 years he has been trying to equalize the rights of college and higher education students, but so far to no avail.

"The issue of scholarships is particularly acute in the sphere of secondary vocational education. We also propose not to raise the cost of tuition at paid departments of universities and other educational organizations. At the same time they should introduce strict austerity measures and tighten control over targeted use of funds," said Vyacheslav Nikonov, Chairman of the Committee.

As for tuition fees, Rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy assures that they will not raise the cost. But things are not as straightforward at St. Petersburg State University. Rector Nikolai Karpachev reports that the cost of programs will increase only if their cost, which includes faculty salaries, goes up."

A proposal was also made to create quotas at companies for graduates looking for work for the first time within a year after graduation. "We've been actively fighting all sorts of suspicious degree-granting offices over the past few years, and that fight needs to go on. But there is a problem of unsettled students." - Vyacheslav Nikonov reports.

Source: Ministry of Education and Science.rf