Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced changes to the city’s Student Tuition Funding Program, including a significant increase in scholarships for graduate students starting in September.
Under the revised scheme, semester-based scholarships for high-achieving master’s students will rise from GEL 562.5 to GEL 1,000. The municipality will also introduce a new initiative, “Young Scientists for Tbilisi,” aimed at supporting research projects focused on addressing urban challenges and developing innovative solutions for the capital.
According to Kaladze, the program will provide research grants to young scholars working on projects aligned with municipal needs, while priority fields facing workforce shortages will be identified annually. The city will also continue funding tuition fees for students who gained admission to public or private higher education institutions before the 2026–2027 academic year.
The mayor noted that Tbilisi City Hall continues to cover tuition costs each semester for socially vulnerable students, members of large families, and students with disabilities. This year, funding was provided to 1,280 socially vulnerable students, more than 500 students from large families, and around 50 students with disabilities. Kaladze also welcomed a reform proposed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth that would fully finance tuition fees at public universities, saying it would improve both access to and the quality of higher education.
