Starting this academic year, self-financing students who are citizens of the Republic of Serbia, enrolled in accredited study programs at state-founded higher education institutions, have the right to a 50% refund of the tuition fees they have previously paid.
Dr. Aleksandar Jović, Assistant Minister of Education for Higher Education, explained that the payments will be made in two installments and that students must first pay their tuition in full before the refund process begins.
“The first assessment takes place by the end of February, where we check how much the students have paid. Then, half of that amount is refunded by April 30. The second assessment happens towards the end of the academic year, with the remaining funds to be paid out by September 30,” Jović stated.
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Since higher education institutions determine their own tuition fees for self-financing students, the question remains as to how much they will be able to increase tuition fees under the new legal regulations.
“We started with the current tuition fees, which serve as reference tuition for the 2024/25 academic year. After that, institutions can increase tuition, but only up to the level of Serbia’s actual inflation rate. This limits their ability to independently raise fees, as they do not need the approval of the Ministry of Education or the state,” Jović emphasized.
He also pointed out that students do not need to apply to claim this benefit. Anyone enrolled in a higher education institution and paying tuition is automatically entitled to the refund, but only for first-time enrollment in a year of study and first-time enrollment in subjects within a study program.
Authorities also urge students who have not yet applied for student cards to do so. Refunds will be processed to accounts linked to student cards.
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Source: RTS, Foto: Pexels