6 September, Minsk /BELTA/. Scholarship amounts in Belarus will be linked to the first-category tariff rate. This is stipulated by Decree No. 398 "On Social Support for Students," which was signed by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 6 September, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. The decree is adopted with the aim of enhancing the social protection of pupils and students, as well as the quality of training of highly qualified researchers, and the effectiveness of their research activities. In accordance with the document, all types of scholarships are established in amounts that are multiples of the first-category tariff rate. This approach will simplify the procedure for calculating scholarships and will facilitate their prompt recalculation. To prevent a reduction in scholarship amounts awarded before the decree comes into force, it is provided that they will be maintained until the next change in the first-category tariff rate. The decree also increases the scholarship amounts for certain categories of students. The amount of the academic scholarship for master's students is set at the level of the scholarship awarded to excellent students mastering the curriculum of the first stage of higher education. The list of persons eligible for a social scholarship when mastering the curriculum for admission to educational institutions of the Republic of Belarus has been streamlined. This right is granted to orphans, children left without parental care, as well as those equated to this category. For postgraduate students who have been awarded the scholarship of the President of the Republic of Belarus and who have defended their dissertations within the established period of study, this scholarship will be paid in a threefold amount in the month of their expulsion from postgraduate studies due to early defence. The decree also provides for an increase of 0.4% in the volume of budget funds allocated for the payment of bonuses for academic, social, and scientific achievements and for providing financial assistance to students. The adoption of the decree is evidence that the state's care for youth remains a priority of Belarus's social policy.-0-

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