Several dozen students are protesting on Thursday in Victoriei Square, dissatisfied with the Government's initiative to change the calculation method of the scholarship fund.
They displayed banners with messages such as: "Don't make your fortune from scholarships", "Don't touch scholarships", "You want education! Pay for it", "The future is not negotiable".
Representatives of the Romanian Students' Union claim that the new government program for the period 2025 - 2028 comes with ''a new blow'' - the drastic reduction of funds for student scholarships.
''The government strikes again at the future of students! Cut corruption, not education! After the 'Trenuleţ' ordinance of 2024, which already cut financial support offered to students, the new government program for the period 2025-2028 comes with a new blow: the drastic reduction of funds for student scholarships. Specifically, the Government intends to change the calculation method of the scholarship fund, as follows: from 10% of the gross minimum wage, as currently provided by the Higher Education Law no. 199/2023, to 10% of the net minimum wage, which means a decrease of over 40% of the total amount allocated for student scholarships. "This could reduce not only the amount of scholarships, but also the number of beneficiaries, directly affecting thousands of students across the country," student representatives said in a Facebook post.
The Romanian Students' Union firmly condemns this initiative and publicly opposes the proposed amendment.
"We believe that education should not be the first area sacrificed in the context of austerity measures, and scholarships represent an essential mechanism for support, inclusion and motivation for students. Students should not be punished for budgetary imbalances. It is not scholarships that cause the deficit, but the lack of a sustainable vision for education!", the protesters say.
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