The New Academic Year Opens

The lack of money, corruption, undersized academic stipends and insufficient accommodation in dormitories are the main problems that students complain about.

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Daniela Budu, 01.10.2015, 13:42

The new academic year opens with little change in the problems that students complain about. Accommodation is dwindling year by year, while the prices skyrocket. State run dormitories are still the least costly, up to four times cheaper than private ones, where fees are often about 110 Euro a month.

Monthly academic stipends are a pittance, students and their parents complain, the National Alliance of Student Unions in Romania indicate, also pointing out that corruption and lack of state financing are overwhelming. The organization published a complaint about corruption in universities. They also called for state stipends to cover monthly expenses for accommodation and meals, as well as accommodation in dorms, in addition to state subsidized transportation fees.

The highest level of competition in entrance exams was at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, with its 11 schools. The academy had 3,000 budgeted seats, with an additional 2,600 students paying their own way through the system. For this academic year, the 19 schools in the University of Bucharest provided 4,450 state budget seats, and 4,000 privately paid. The Bucharest Polytechnic expects 5,000 students in its 15 schools.

As a first this year, students in the main university centers may study for a semester or a year as exchange students. This program is free of charge. At the same time, the government in Bucharest issued an emergency executive order to allow university instructors without a PhD to cover the sore lack of personnel.