Students demand a return to 90% reductions in rail transport and an increase in the scholarship fund

Representatives of the National Alliance of Student Organizations of Romania (ANOSR) are calling on the Government to return to the 90% reduction for students in domestic rail transport, applicable on all routes, as well as to allocate the scholarship fund for the entire calendar year, not just during the academic year. ANOSR draws attention to the negative impact of recent legislative changes on students' access to education, especially in the context of the debates regarding the appointment of the future Minister of Education and Research and the discussions regarding the budget laws. The student organization is calling for a review of the provisions contained in Emergency Ordinance no. 156/2024 and Law no. 141/2025, normative acts which, according to ANOSR, have directly affected the transport facilities and the scholarship system for students. "ANOSR draws the attention of the Romanian Government (...) to consider the need to return to the provisions of OUG. no. 156/2024 and Law no. 141/2025 concerning education, especially those that have affected student transportation and scholarships," the ANOSR press release states.

• Requests regarding the scholarship system

In addition to returning to the allocation of the scholarship fund for the entire calendar year, students are requesting an increase in the percentage of the net minimum wage used to calculate the standard cost necessary to establish the scholarship fund, from 10% to 17.5%. According to ANOSR, this measure would allow the value of the scholarships to be adapted to the real costs of living and the current needs of students. The organization also calls for the reintroduction of the possibility for students enrolled in fee-paying places to benefit from scholarships granted from funds allocated from the state budget, emphasizing that the status of fee-paying student does not exclude socio-economic vulnerability.

• Additional pressure on universities

ANOSR also calls for an increase in the contribution from higher education institutions' own funds to the scholarship fund, in order to supplement their number, especially in the case of social scholarships, where demand is growing. Student representatives warn that, in the absence of budgetary and legislative adjustments, an increasing number of eligible students risk not benefiting from financial support, a situation that may lead to university dropout or limiting access to higher education for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Regarding rail transport, ANOSR believes that the 90% reduction on all routes represents an essential measure for student mobility, especially for those studying in localities other than their home. Any restriction of transport facilities translates, according to the organization, into additional costs that are difficult for many students to bear. Through this initiative, the National Alliance of Student Organizations of Romania calls on the Government and the future Minister of Education to treat education as a strategic priority, and for budgetary measures to be correlated with the social and economic realities of students. ANOSR emphasizes that investment in scholarships and transport facilities is not only a social support, but also an essential tool for ensuring equity, increasing the graduation rate and developing human capital in the long term.