Numerous students demonstrated nationwide against the new scholarship calculation formula approved by the Government, which would lead to significant reductions.
Although many students are already on holiday or have left university towns, and despite the scorching heat, several hundred gathered in Bucharest, joined by thousands more in other cities.
Among the messages on the protesters’ placards were: “You don’t build fortunes from scholarships!”, “How many scholarships can you make from a minister’s salary?”, and “Cut corruption, not education!”
Here is the message they conveyed before the protests began:
“According to the new formula proposed by the Government, the scholarship fund will no longer be calculated based on the gross minimum wage, but on the net minimum wage. This would significantly reduce the amount allocated per student – from 405 lei/month to approximately 257 lei/month, on average. ...