Education ministry announces two new scholarship categories for students with rare diseases and special educational needs

The Ministry of Education and Science (MON) will open two new scholarship categories — for students with rare diseases and for students with special educational needs — Minister Vesna Janevska announced today, as the Shetalishte portal reports. It is an expansion of the existing state scholarship program for higher education.

According to Minister Janevska, all students who meet the criteria and apply in these two new categories will certainly receive the scholarships. Guaranteeing full coverage of applicants marks a change from competitions in which scholarships were awarded according to limited quotas.

The announcement comes just one day after the publication of the scholarship lists for student dormitories for the 2026/2027 academic year, in which those rejected have a 10-day deadline to appeal — a topic that has drawn great attention among students this week.

The Ministry of Education has in recent years placed inclusion and equality in education at the center of its policies, with special measures for pupils and students with special educational needs. The new scholarship categories, as Shetalishte reports, are expected to be detailed in the ministry’s next call, where the criteria and the scholarship amounts will be set.