The students protested again in front of the Victoria Palace, to ask for their train tickets with a 90% discount, as well as the scholarships they benefited last year. Due to the weather, only 20 protesters were in the market. Although they had asked for a meeting with the prime minister, the students did not receive an answer.
Due to the weather, only 20 protesters were in Victoriei Square
Limiting the reduction of 90% to railway transport only on the home route – university center, reducing the scholarship fund by over 40%, but also eliminating the right of students registered on places to benefit from these rewards are the main measures against which the students protested.
“It is worrying, both on the basic issue, because the support given to the students has been diminished, as well as the overall perspective, because the students do not“Says Sergiu Covaci, president of the National Alliance of Student Organizations (ANOSR).
So far, the students had no meeting with Prime Minister Bolojan
It was the second protest this week, and ANOSR had publicly asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Bolojan, to discuss the issues. No meeting took place. At the time the protest took place, the prime minister was leading the government meeting.
Daniel David, the Minister of Education, spoke at the opening of the academic year at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, where he was invited, about the possibility of using European funds to solve the students’ dissatisfaction.
What are the students’ requests
Changes in the amount of scholarships and the granting period come against the background of austerity measures decided by the Government.
The alliance of student organizations has published a list of claims towards the Executive. They are:
– the return to the allocation of the scholarship fund throughout the calendar year (12 months);
– return to granting scholarships to students throughout the calendar year (12 months);
– increasing the percentage of the net minimum wage by which the value of the standard cost is calculated for the establishment of the scholarship fund from 10% to 17.5%, to return to a value of the scholarship fund similar to that of 2024, when the standard cost represents 10% of the gross minimum wage;
– reintroducing the possibility of students registered on places with a tax to benefit from scholarships from the funds from the state budget;
the diversification by the universities of the forms of support for students, from revenues attracted by them, including through institutional projects;
– increasing the contribution from its own funds of higher education institutions to the scholarship fund, to supplement the number of scholarships, especially in order to cover the requests of eligible students for social scholarships;
– repealing the provisions of the Emergency Ordinance no. 156/2024 from art. XXIX, para. (1) which limits the right of students to benefit from the facilities for internal rail transport on all routes.
