"The increase in student scholarship amounts represents a strategic measure by the Government of the Republic of Srpska and the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education, aimed at strengthening the higher education system, thereby confirming that knowledge and the future of young people are a priority for the Republic of Srpska," said the Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, Prof. Draga Mastilović PhD.
The Ministry awards 1,065 scholarships each year to students studying in the Republic of Srpska, for which 2,130,000 BAM has so far been allocated from the budget of the Department for Higher Education. Scholarships are paid monthly over 10 months, which is the duration of the academic year. The monthly scholarship amount is 200 BAM, i.e. 2,000 BAM per student per year. The 2026 budget provides for an increase in scholarship amounts for the academic year 2026/27 from 200 BAM to 300 BAM. Accordingly, the scholarship budget for this year amounts to 3,195,000 BAM.
The Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, through the "Dr. Milan Jelić" Fund, annually announces a call for applications for scholarships for students of the first, second and third cycles of studies for students enrolled in higher education institutions in The Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and abroad, and pays scholarships in nine monthly instalments.
The budget for the academic year 2026/27 provides for an increase in the scholarship amounts of the "Dr. Milan Jelić" Fund. The Fund's budget has been increased from 750,000 BAM to 1,125,000 BAM.
Accordingly, for first-cycle students studying at public universities in the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026/27 academic year, scholarships will increase from 400 BAM to 600 BAM per month. For first-cycle students at higher education institutions in Serbia, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia or Montenegro, the amount will increase from 500 BAM to 700 BAM, while for first cycle students at higher education institutions abroad, instead of 800 BAM, they will receive 900 BAM.
For second cycle students at universities in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and higher education institutions abroad, the annual scholarship will increase from 5,000 BAM to 5,500 BAM, while for third-cycle students at universities in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and higher education institutions abroad, scholarships will increase from 10,000 BAM to 12,000 BAM per year.
Minister Mastilović recalled that one of the most significant measures of the Government of the Republic of Srpska in the field of higher education is free tuition for all full-time first- and second-cycle students, as well as free accommodation in student dormitories and subsidised meals in student canteens, which makes The Republic of Srpska unique in the region.