The Georgian Government will determine annually the number of students to be admitted to state universities, as well as the list of educational programs that those universities will be authorised to implement. The Georgian Dream Parliament is currently reviewing the relevant amendments to the Law on Higher Education under an expedited procedure.
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The bill's initiator is the Georgian Dream government. The explanatory note states that “the quantitative distribution of quotas for the admission of students to universities is currently not based on an in-depth analysis of the existing and potential demands of the labour market. As a result, in practice, there is both a quantitative and a qualitative mismatch between the qualifications of graduates from universities and the demands of the labour market.”
According to the draft law, the Government of Georgia, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, will annually approve the number of students admitted to state-founded higher education institutions with and without passing unified national/master's exams, both according to the university and specific educational programs (curriculum).
In the university system, except for certain specialised fields, a 3+1+1 structure will be introduced—3 years for a bachelor's degree and 1 year for a master's degree. The amendment specifies that a bachelor’s programme must comprise a minimum of 180 credits, and a master’s programme must comprise a minimum of 60 credits.
The draft law stipulates that the government shall approve the rules and conditions for funding state-founded higher education institutions.
Students currently receive study grants at both state and private universities. Once the draft law is adopted, students at private universities will no longer be eligible for state funding.
The state will continue to fund tuition for students already enrolled in higher education institutions until 2026, including those in the 2030–2031 academic year.
GD Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth Zviad Gabisonia discussed upcoming amendments during a session of the Parliament's Finance and Budget Committee. He stated that they are working actively with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development to identify “labour market requirements for a 4–5-year period.”
“With this, the issue of quotas and the amount to be allocated in the programmes will be established by the government. [...] The Georgian government plans to determine the specific directions that will be important to the state universities it owns, “Zviad Gabisonia noted.
Regarding student funding, Gabisonia stated that this year's first-, second-, third-, fourth-year, and master's students “will receive study grants as usual.” This also applies to students enrolled at private universities.
