Armenia reports annual 10% increase in college enrollment

ArmInfo.On July 10, Araksia Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, announced that enrollment in vocational colleges has been seeing a steady year-over-year increase of approximately 10%.

During the press conference, the Deputy Minister detailed the  admission capacity for the upcoming academic year. She stated that  vocational education program provides 3,312 places in 38 specialties,  21 of which are priority areas and provide stipends. An additional  800 places are provided through the Ministry of Internal Affairs  program. 6,064 places in 107 specialties will be available under  secondary vocational education programs. Moreover, 15 specialties are  included in the scholarship program as priorities for the country's  economy.

Svajyan emphasized that the government has identified industry,  agriculture, and construction as priority sectors for the national  economy. Students enrolled in these programs receive a monthly  scholarship of 50,000 AMD.

Regarding scholarship eligibility, the Deputy Minister noted that all  first-year students receive the stipend regardless of whether they  are studying under a state-funded contract or on a tuition-paying  basis.  Following the first year, scholarships are maintained for  high-achieving students, while others have the opportunity to regain  their stipend by improving their academic performance.

According to Svajyan, these initiatives have significantly improved  enrollment rates in previously under- subscribed fields. "Young  people have begun to take an interest in these specialties, which had  remained vacant for years," she stated. "We now have students  enrolled in all of these priority programs."