The Serbian government has allocated 12.01 billion dinars from the budget reserve to fulfill the fourth demand of students, which includes a 50% reduction in tuition fees for self-financing students at state higher education institutions. These funds were drawn from the Ministry of Finance’s intervention funds and aim to improve the material conditions of employees and enhance the quality of education in Serbia.
The funds will be used for several purposes: 590.6 million dinars for the University of Novi Sad, 120 million for higher education institutions, 6 billion for the development of higher education, and 432 million for student housing. Additionally, 653 million dinars will support higher education institutions, with 130 million allocated for doctoral studies and 30 million for the development of higher education.
The funds also cover student assistance, with 443 million dinars dedicated to individual student support and 66 million for student-standard institutions. The government’s amendments to the Law on Higher Education, which includes the 50% tuition fee reduction, were passed in February. These amendments also increase the budget for higher education by 20%, aligning with student demands.
Further funding, 5.7 billion dinars, will be used to raise salaries for higher education employees starting in March 2025. Additionally, the salary base for higher education employees will be equalized with other education sectors by 2026.
These actions are part of the government’s efforts to meet the demands of students who had been protesting for more than three months. The increase in the higher education budget aims to bring investment levels closer to those in Central and Eastern Europe.
