Student scholarships will be increased by 15% as of October 1

Scholarships for students and doctoral students will be increased as of October 1, 2025. This envisages a project for changes in a government decree proposed by the Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev.

The minimum student scholarship will become 150 BGN with the current amount of 120 BGN, and the maximum will be increased from 200 to 250 BGN. The monthly scholarship for doctoral students will be increased from 1227 to 1562 BGN.

Students

Student scholarships are obtained on the basis of semester success and/or monthly income per family member for the last six months. Some of them are granted only by social criterion. What is the ratio determines the higher education institution in agreement with the Student Council and approves the Rector.

The exact amount of the scholarship – within the limits from the minimum to the maximum permissible size according to the government decree – is also determined by the Rector at the proposal of the Student Council.

The increase in scholarships by 15% was proposed by the Minister of Education « because of their significant lag from the amount of scholarships for doctoral students, » his report to the Council of Ministers wrote.

Doctoral students

Krasimir Valchev’s argument for the proposed promotion of the monthly scholarships for doctoral students is a requirement in the Higher Education Act that doctoral scholarships are not less than 150 percent of the minimum wage for the last 12 months. The proposed amount of BGN 1562 was calculated on the basis of the current minimum wage for the period October 2024 – September 2025.

« The amount of scholarships for doctoral students in accordance with changes in the minimum wage will have a stimulating effect on the doctoral student and will enable him to start a more relaxing and academic career with less concern to meet social and buddy needs, » Valchev wrote in his report.

There are 3802 PhD students in public higher education institutions in full -time education. Another 277 are PhD students in scientific organizations.

The increase of their scholarships for 2025 requires BGN 8.468 million. They are read in the draft law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2025, the Valchev explains.