For the first time in Belarus, compensation for housing rental expenses has been introduced for non-resident pupils and students.

2 November, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. Non-resident pupils and students receiving full-time education at the expense of republican and (or) local budgets will be eligible for monthly reimbursement of housing rental expenses if they are not provided with a dormitory place. In Minsk, the monthly compensation will amount to 3 base units (currently, one base unit is Br35 thousand), and in other settlements – 2 base units. The relevant provision is contained in Resolution No. 1451 of the Council of Ministers of Belarus dated 28 October 2011, BELTA was informed by the government's press service.

This resolution also approves the regulations on the procedure for reimbursing housing rental expenses. Non-resident pupils and students who are registered as citizens wishing to obtain a dormitory place are entitled to such compensation. Provided that the per capita income of their family does not exceed 200% of the highest value of the subsistence minimum per capita, approved by the Government of Belarus for the last two quarters.

The per capita family income is calculated for the 12 months preceding the month of application for housing rental expense reimbursement. For this purpose, the total income of all family members for the calculation period is divided by the number of months in that period and by the number of family members. For an unmarried student, the family includes their mother and father, children dependent on them who are receiving general secondary, vocational, professional-technical, secondary vocational, and higher education on a full-time basis, as well as disabled children of groups I and II receiving social pensions. For those who are married, the family includes their spouse, children dependent on them, as well as disabled children of groups I and II receiving social pensions. If an unmarried student has children, the family includes children dependent on them, as well as disabled children of groups I and II receiving social pensions.

The decision on reimbursement of housing rental expenses is made by the standing commission at the educational institution. It is necessary to submit an application for reimbursement of expenses to the commission, accompanied by documents on the income received by each family member for the 12 months preceding the month of application. A copy of the lease or sublease agreement for the residential premises, certified by the signature of the head and the seal of the educational institution, will also be required. In addition, the package of documents includes a certificate of residence and family composition from the organization operating the housing stock, or from the rural, settlement Council of Deputies. If the student's family members are not registered at his place of residence, the educational institution requests the necessary certificate, or the student can provide the document himself, at his discretion.

The listed documents are submitted to the commission once a year together with the application. The decision on reimbursement of housing rental expenses is made within 5 working days after receiving the last of the required documents.

Reimbursement of housing rental expenses is carried out from September 1 to June 30, but not earlier than the date of conclusion of the agreement, within the timeframe and in the manner established by the educational institution for scholarship payments. Persons evicted from dormitories for violating the rules of residence are not reimbursed for housing rental expenses.

Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1451 comes into force after its official publication.-0-

BELTA