Russian Lawmaker Proposes Raising Student Stipends to Living Wage

In Russia, it has been proposed to increase stipends for full-time students to the level of the per capita living wage — 18,939 rubles (about $189 at current rates). The initiative was put forward by State Duma deputy Sergey Mironov.

«The bill proposes to establish at the federal level a minimum state academic stipend for students studying full-time at the expense of budget allocations, in an amount not lower than the per capita living wage in the Russian Federation as a whole, set for the current year,» — as stated in the explanatory note to the draft.

In his opinion, equating the stipend to the living wage will help form a more fair system of support for Russian students. As the deputy noted, because existing payments are insufficient, students have to take part-time jobs.

«They combine work with studies because earnings are a priority for many. They spend most of their free time working in stores, offices, or as couriers. Many start studying shortly before exams, and thus the level of knowledge is corresponding,» — RIA Novosti quotes Mironov as saying.

He also proposed indexing student stipends annually.

Moreover, students will have the opportunity to receive material support and even transfer to state-funded places. However, this will not affect all students. More details on this can be found here.