The Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of The Republic of Srpska, Draga Mastilović, stated that the Government of the Republic of Srpska continuously invests in all student centres and expressed his expectation that, thanks to numerous support programmes, the number of students enrolling at public universities in the Republic of Srpska will continue to grow.
Minister Mastilović emphasised that the Government seeks to encourage as many young people as possible to pursue their studies in the Republic of Srpska and has an obligation to provide them with the best possible conditions.
"The Government achieves this through investments in student welfare, tuition-free higher education, free accommodation in student residences, subsidised meals, and scholarship programmes," the Minister told journalists in Banja Luka, where he visited the Student Centre "Nikola Tesla".
He noted that both the Ministry and society as a whole can be satisfied with the conditions provided for students at the Centre, adding that plans are also being considered to increase accommodation capacity.
"The students I spoke with expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the Centre. There were a few minor concerns, but together with the Centre's management we will work to address these issues in the near future," said Mastilović.
The Director of the Student Centre "Nikola Tesla", Dragoslav Topić, highlighted that meal prices at the Centre will remain unchanged next calendar year, with students continuing to pay only 3 BAM per day for meals.
"Breakfast will remain at 0.60 BAM, lunch at 1.40 BAM, and dinner at 1 BAM. Such prices cannot be found anywhere else in the region," said Topić. He added that the Centre currently accommodates 1,400 students, 350 of whom are housed in the fourth pavilion.
Topić also pointed out that internet connectivity remains one of the issues faced by students and stressed that efforts will be made, in cooperation with the Ministry, to improve the service in the coming period.
Jana Mrdić, a first-year student of Journalism and Communication Studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Banja Luka, originally from Bijeljina, said that students residing at the Centre enjoy very good conditions for both living and studying.