Discussions have been held recently regarding the increase of student scholarships.
It is interesting, is there any initiative or expectation regarding the increase of scholarships?
Speaking to AzEdu.az on the topic, member of the Science and Education Committee of the Milli Majlis, deputy Jeyhun Mammadov noted that Mr. President has great attention and care for education in Azerbaijan:
"We have always felt this, and today we are witnessing the continuous attention of the state to this area. The budget allocated to the education sector is already more than 5 billion manats. We must take into account that the state reviews this issue every year and conducts relevant analyses.
I believe that we will witness the review of this issue in the next stage as well. The process is continuous and is directly in the focus of the state's attention. Detailed information will be provided to the public regarding the amount and form of the change.
The main point is that the state has a will in this direction, and that will is reflected in the measures taken from time to time. I think that we will witness the review of this issue in the near future as well. Because our state has continuously strengthened the steps taken in this direction until now".
According to economist Gunay Huseynova, when approaching the issue of increasing student scholarships from an economic point of view, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the dynamics of students' daily expenses:
"Currently, the share of food, transportation, rent and other necessary expenses in the student budget is quite high. From this point of view, increasing scholarships can be one of the important steps to improve the social welfare of students. The adoption of a concrete decision regarding the increase of scholarships depends on the possibilities of the state budget, the level of inflation and social priorities. Currently, it would not be correct to state a specific figure without an official decision on when and by what percentage general student scholarships will be increased.
I believe that in the initial stage of evaluating a possible increase, the range of 10-20 percent can be considered as the main scenario for discussion. However, this is not an official forecast or a confirmed initiative, but a probability based on an economic approach. The main goal is for the increase in scholarships to protect the real purchasing power of students and to compensate for the rise in living expenses to some extent.
At the same time, it would be appropriate to apply additional support mechanisms to more socially vulnerable student groups, especially young people from low-income families. Because student scholarship is not only financial aid, but also a means of supporting access to education and future development opportunities for young people".
