The Student Council of BFU Against Scholarship Discrimination
The Student Council of Burgas Free University joined the petition under the motto "Equal Access to Scholarships for All Students," aimed against the discriminatory nature of scholarships funded by the state budget. The initiative quickly gained traction not only among students and doctoral candidates in non-state higher education institutions, but also among the general public and peers from state universities. All of them are affected by the latest proposed amendments to the Higher Education Act, which contradict Decision No. 10666 of October 30, 2025, issued by a 5-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC). The Court defined as discriminatory the restriction allowing only students admitted under state-subsidized quotas in full-time education to receive merit-based scholarships from the state budget.
Following an interview in the studio of Bulgaria OnAir television on August 31 with Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the National Assembly of Student Councils in the Republic of Bulgaria, the media outlet published an article with a headline summarizing his position: "Straight-A Students Left Without Scholarships: Why Separate Paid from State-Subsidized Education".
The students' petition, supported by the Student Council of BFU, states:
"In 2025, the Supreme Administrative Court definitively removed the restriction that deprived certain students, who were enrolled in paid-tuition and part-time programs, of the opportunity to receive scholarships. The Court ruled that students should not be treated differently solely based on how their education is funded.
It is time for this principle of equality to encompass all students.
We do not insist that every student automatically receive a scholarship. We demand that every student have an equal right to apply and be evaluated based on the same clear criteria – academic performance, achievements, and social circumstances, rather than whether the higher education institution is state or private.
We do not want the state to finance private higher education institutions or pay their tuition fees. We want support to be directed towards deserving and underprivileged students.
Therefore, we call upon the Members of Parliament and the National Assembly as a whole:
- To implement the necessary changes to the already submitted Draft Act on Amending and Supplementing the Higher Education Act (Incoming No. 52-602-01-36 / August 10, 2026).
- To establish common and transparent rules for access to state scholarships for students in all accredited higher education institutions.
- To guarantee that the right to apply will not depend on the ownership form of the higher education institution or on whether the education is subsidized by the state or is paid-tuition.
Education is a personal choice. Equality is a right."
