2 applicants per university scholarship in Kazakhstan: Ministry of Education

With the school year approaching in Kazakhstan, prospect university students are awaiting results of their applications. The luckiest will be among the 31,635 high school graduates to receive the State Scholarship. For the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, there are a little over 2 applicants per scholarship, Tengrinews reports citing the Vice Minister of Education and Science Takir Balykbayev.

“This year, the government is providing 34,165 scholarships, 2500 spots for foundation year programs and 31 635 scholarships for first year students. Our committee is working on allocation of these 31,635 scholarships. 69,624 high school graduates have applied for the State Scholarship, which makes it 2.2 applicants per one scholarship. But if we consider the fact that our high school graduates are applying for 4 programs at once, then we have in average 8 applications per one spot to consider,” Balykbayev said.

The committee has from August 5 to 8 to make the decision. “The final results and names of the state scholarship receivers will be published in the media before August 10,” the Vice Minister said.

Aside from the scholarships, the Ministry of Education and Science noted a growing number of applicants to the Education programs. Engineering programs, too, are becoming more popular among newly graduated high schoolers. Surprisingly, the Agricultural Departments have higher application rate this year as well. The least popular among this year applicants are programs in Cultural Studies, Foreign Language Philology, French Studies, Physics, Astronomy and Geology.

Meanwhile, Medical schools in Kazakhstan retain high rate of applications, as well as Economy and Law that never seem to lack demand among future university students.

Reporting by Altynai Zhumzhumina, writing by Gyuzel Kamalova