Georgia is preparing serious changes in the field of higher education: master's programs in state universities will become completely free. Amendments to the Law on Higher Education were presented by the Deputy Minister of Education Zviad Gabisonia at a meeting of the parliamentary committee, and they are going to be considered in an accelerated manner.
According to Gabisonia, the reform will affect all 19 state universities in the country. The existing grant model, in which students received partial funding through a competition, will be abolished. It will be replaced by full state coverage of tuition fees. This applies not only to bachelor's degrees, but also to master's degrees — education will become free for everyone who enters the quota system.
After the changes come into force, the state funding model will fully cover the cost of educational programs, eliminating the need for either grants or additional contributions. Thus, Georgia is effectively moving to a system where basic higher education in state universities is paid for by the state, regardless of the level — from bachelor's to master's degrees.
