According to the Minister of Education, since September 2023, about 4,000 students have regained their student status and continued their studies

According to the Minister of Education and Science, Giorgi Amilakhvari, from September 2023, about 4,000 students regained their student status and continued their studies.

Yesterday, at the plenary session of the Parliament, the Minister also spoke about the student debt relief program in universities and the private universities that refused this program.

According to Amilakhvari, the Ministry cannot force anyone to participate in the program, especially a private university, because there is no legal or academic leverage for this.

According to the Minister, unfortunately, two private universities considered that they should not give additional social financial benefits to their students.

"Under conditions of free will, we offered all private universities a completely financial deal. Only two universities did not join. I will not mention the names of these universities, the public knows them well. Why didn't they join? I do not know. Ask them. How can you not join such an initiative, when the state tells you that we will pay this amount, whatever the market value is, and all private universities will receive that amount to the last penny, we took 2-3 months for this and gradually everyone will be paid. What can we do? How can we force and oblige a private university?

Now the rhetorical question is thrown back at us by some people - "what will happen to these students". We cannot force anyone, there is no legal or academic leverage to force someone to move with mobility. Unfortunately, the managers of this university somehow felt that they should not give additional social financial benefits to their students. They justify this by sayng that they do more than enough for these students to satisfy them socially: they give scholarships, benefits. We have such a sad reality," said Amilakhvari.