Liberal Democratic Party will develop a bill on scholarships for students not lower than the minimum wage

The Liberal Democratic Party is preparing a bill on the payment of scholarships to students, graduate students, residents and assistant trainees who study full-time, not lower than the minimum wage (minimum wage). It is reported by TASS.

Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party noted that the existing scholarships are extremely insufficient to support students in the learning process. So, in 2023, the amount of the scholarship for university students is 1,825 rubles per month, for students of secondary vocational education – 664 rubles. The state social scholarship for socially unprotected students in universities is 2,739 rubles.

Parliamentarians believe that such low scholarships have a negative impact on the quality of education, since most students are forced to combine study and work. This takes away time from classes and, in some cases, leads to the fact that students are forced to drop out of school or go on academic leave.

The changes proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party will affect the laws “On Education in the Russian Federation” and “On the Minimum Wage”. According to the amendments, full-time students in state-funded places will be awarded state scholarships not less than the minimum wage established by federal law.

It is worth noting that from January 1, 2023, the minimum wage in Russia was indexed by 6.3% and now stands at 16,242 rubles.