Starting in 2026, the GEL 3 million annual budget of the Tbilisi City Hall’s student funding program is expected to be reallocated into student scholarships, according to Deputy Education Minister Zviad Gabisonia. The change comes as state universities will become fully tuition-free under a broader higher education reform.
Gabisonia said the program, which previously covered tuition fees for socially vulnerable students who did not receive state grants, will no longer be needed in its current form. Instead, the funds will remain within the education system but be redirected toward merit- and need-based scholarships.
He noted that the initiative was proposed by Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and has already been agreed upon in consultations between the ministry, the city hall, and universities. Work is now underway to define the criteria and structure for distributing the new scholarship system.
The deputy minister added that similar reallocations may follow in other state bodies, including the Defense Ministry. Overall, the government plans to shift previously tuition-related subsidies into broader student financial support mechanisms, including social and performance-based scholarships.
