Merit scholarships and admission facilities in technical vocational and higher education for Roma students

Roma pupils and young people will be able to benefit from merit scholarships of 1,200 lei and from facilities for admission to technical vocational and higher education. At the same time, 10% of the available places in the 1st and 10th grades will be reserved for Roma children. These are some of the measures proposed by the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) to facilitate the access and retention of Roma children and youth in the education system.

Access of Roma children and youth to education, as well as measures to prevent school dropout, were discussed during a consultative meeting organized by the MEC in Soroca.

The event was attended by representatives of local public authorities, educational institutions, community mediators, Roma civil society organizations, parents, as well as representatives of national and international partner organizations.

“ We want no child to give up school because of social difficulties or discrimination. That is why the Ministry of Education and Research offers several forms of support for Roma children and youth. It is important for every family to know that these opportunities exist and to be able to use them. At the same time, the results depend on the involvement of everyone: authorities, schools, community mediators, Roma organizations and, last but not least, parents,” stressed Ivan Duminica, head of the Interethnic Relations Policy Service within the MEC.

The measures promoted by the MEC to facilitate the access and retention of Roma children and youth in the education system include reserving 10% of available places in the 1st and 10th grades for Roma children; facilities for admission to technical vocational and higher education, including dedicated publicly funded places and exemption from the enrollment fee; awarding merit scholarships worth 1,200 lei per month starting from the 10th grade for Roma pupils and students with good academic results; increasing the social scholarship for pupils and students from socially vulnerable families from 720 lei to 1,000 lei.

According to statistics, the number of Roma pupils enrolled in the education system increased from 1,687 in 2024 to 2,029 in 2025, which represents a growth of 342 pupils and confirms real progress in ensuring access to education.