"Bulgaria lags behind other EU countries in the share of young people with higher education. The removal of tuition fees for state-funded education aims to attract more students against the backdrop of a worsening demographic crisis", Bulgaria’s Minister of Education and Science Professor Galin Tsokov said an interview with the Bulgarian National Television. Minister Tsokov commented on the amendments to the Higher Education Act that were already uploaded for public discussion. The government proposed to waive tuition fees for undergraduate and PhD students in public higher education institutions, in fields with a state subsidy. 

In recent years, the number of students in Bulgaria has been decreasing. The share of young people who complete higher education by the age of 30-34 is also decreasing. The analyses indicate that in the next 4-5 years, the demographic crisis will be felt even more seriously. ''The removal of tuition fees aims to make higher education more accessible'', said Minister Tsokov. According to Galin Tsokov, the removal of tuition fees does not automatically imply a decline in quality.

• In order for high school students to stay in Bulgaria, fees in state universities will be abolished