Financing for equity in higher education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students
4. Support for students' living costs
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes was 78.27 in 2023. The initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita was 6.10 in 2021. Data on the initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is not available from UIS.
Tuition-free status
In Georgia, public tertiary education has historically not been tuition-free according to national laws and policies; the 2004 Law of Georgia on Higher Education allows universities to collect tuition fees. However, the state has announced plans to provide tuition-free access to public universities from the 2026-2027 school year.
Governance
The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth leads higher education policy, prepares higher education budget needs, and manages state grants and programmes, while the Ministry of Finance prepares the state budget, allocates appropriations to the education ministry, and oversees budget execution. In addition, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, a legal entity under the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth, authorizes and accredits institutions and programmes.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Higher education is centrally financed, with funds flowing directly from the state budget to higher education institutions.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
At the institutional level, private universities in Georgia do not receive direct public funding, even when no public university is available. Historically, however, public funding has reached private providers indirectly through a system of portable state grants and scholarships, which eligible students could use at both accredited public and private institutions. This mechanism effectively channeled public resources to the private sector through student choice. Under the higher education financing reform scheduled to take effect from the 2026 academic year, new first-year students enrolling in private universities will no longer be eligible for state grants. As a result, the state will effectively cease indirectly funding private higher education institutions.
Allocation and equity
Public higher education institutions are funded predominantly through centrally managed student-based state educational grants and targeted programme financing, rather than through institution-level block grants. These grants are allocated to institutions according to the number of eligible students they enroll and the study programmes they offer in government-defined priority fields.
Equity objectives are addressed mainly through specific grant schemes that provide additional or full funding for groups, including students from conflict-affected regions and socially disadvantaged students, with the corresponding public resources flowing directly to the higher education institutions where these students enroll.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
Georgia has several specific admission and financing arrangements for vulnerable groups in higher education. Applicants from the occupied regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali or South Ossetia region can be admitted to Georgian universities through simplified procedures, including enrollment without Unified National Examinations or via the 1+4 preparatory language programme, and they are eligible for full state funding and scholarships within an annual quota of places. Students who completed schooling in non-Georgian languages can access higher education through the Georgian Language Preparatory Educational Programme, which combines a preferential admission track with a funded preparatory year to support their transition to Georgian language bachelor programmes.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth offers scholarship support for higher education primarily through merit-based scholarships, which are awarded according to performance in the Unified National Examinations. Scholarship rules, eligibility criteria and award levels are set in national regulations issued by the ministry, which is responsible for programme design, budget planning and oversight of implementation. =
The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth also operates a number targeted schemes that pursue equity objectives by providing grants to students from specific vulnerable groups. These include students from socially vulnerable households, conflict-affected regions including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali or South Ossetia region, ethnic minorities in Georgian language preparatory programmes, students from remote mountainous areas, and other disadvantaged categories identified in social assistance regulations. Eligibility criteria and award levels are set in national regulations issued by the ministry.
No information was found on a government-operated student loan programme.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
Support for student transportation is provided through the national student discount programme, “Make Your Life Easier,” an initiative launched by the President of Georgia and overseen by MoESY. The programme enables students from accredited higher education institutions to access discounted public transportation, including railways, subways, and buses. Cards also provide benefits across health care, cultural venues, and recreational services.
Accommodation
No information was found on support for student accommodation.
Textbooks
No information was found on support for textbook purchases.
