Russia is interested in foreign students. And it’s not just about economic benefits: the demographic situation in the country is such that the number of available places in universities in recent years exceeds the number of Russian applicants. Instead of reducing the teaching staff, it is logical to give these places to foreigners. Every year, the Government of the Russian Federation allocates at least 15,000 state-funded places for them. In this article, we will talk about how these educational quotas are distributed between countries, and how a foreigner can get a scholarship in Russia.
How many places are allocated in 2023 and who will get them?
Until December 2020, the quota for state-funded places for foreigners was regulated by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 891. According to this document, no more than 15,000 representatives of other countries could annually count on a state scholarship from Russia. However, in 2021, the situation changed. Resolution No. 2150 establishes new quota sizes. Now Russian universities will be able to accept foreign applicants in the number of:
- Vietnam (958)
- China (950)
- Tajikistan (618)
- Syria (500)
- Mongolia (500)
- Ukraine (490)
- Kazakhstan (450)
- Kyrgyzstan (366)
- Afghanistan (360)
- Moldova (306)
How many seats will go to the citizens of a particular republic depends on the international relations of this state with the Russian Federation. The more actively countries cooperate, the more joint projects and common development goals they have with the Russian Federation, the more chances their students have. Traditionally, the CIS and Asian countries receive the most significant share of quotas. The 9th issue of the statistical collection “Export of Russian Educational Services” provides data for the period from 2014 to 2019, on the basis of which it is possible to compile the TOP-10 countries in terms of the number of places received:
The scholarship for international students in Russia includes:
- free tuition for the entire duration of the educational program;
- a monthly stipend in the form of fixed payments;
- a place in the dormitory of the university,
BUT It does not cover travel to the place of study, VHI policy, living expenses. However, there are important clarifications regarding the monthly scholarship and place in the hostel:
Hostel
Nonresident and foreign students who won the competition and received a state scholarship have the right to count on a place in the dormitory of their university, if the educational institution has it. However, do not expect that accommodation will be free. You will have to pay both rent and utilities. The price, however, is relatively low. It depends on the city, the type of dormitory, the level of comfort and the number of people in the room. Accommodation in a four-bed “room” costs about 500 – 1000 rubles per month, but in a double room it can reach up to 4000 rubles.
How to apply for a budget?
The functions of an intermediary between Russian universities and foreign students were assumed by Rossotrudnichestvo. It is in his representative offices abroad that you can apply for detailed information about admission, open directions, the current number of quotas and deadlines. Residents of countries in which there are no representative offices of this agency can seek advice directly from the embassies of the Russian Federation. If there are still places, and the directions you need are open, you can start taking action:
Register on the website education-in-russia.com. The portal has been translated into 15 languages. You can choose the right one by clicking on the icon in the upper right corner.
Fill out the application form, attach photos and scans of documents and apply for the selected educational program through the above website (in your personal account there are detailed instructions for creating an application). Applying is completely free.
Wait for an invitation to the selection tests. Information about the place, time and format of exams either comes to the applicant’s personal account or is posted on the local website of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office. If the exams are successfully passed, the candidate’s name will appear in the lists on the Rossotrudnichestvo website. But this is only the first stage of selection.
Next, you need to upload medical certificates about the state of health, the absence of HIV and other dangerous diseases to your personal account, attach certified translations of documents and an abstract (not always required). The dossiers and exam results of those who have passed the first selection are sent to the Ministry of Education and Science, and from there to universities.
Get a positive decision on admission. Prepare documents for a student visa (if required)
What documents are needed?
To participate in the first qualifying round, you will need a very small set of papers, indicated in the Appendix to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation N 1378:
- passport;
- a document on the available education;
- lists of publications, certificates of victory in Olympiads and other documents confirming the presence of individual achievements;
At the second stage, translations of all these documents into Russian, as well as medical certificates, are added to these documents:
- a certificate confirming the absence of contraindications to studying in Russia, the absence of diseases such as tuberculosis and all types of hepatitis;
- certificate of absence of HIV infection;
- the results of the medical examination (for those specialties that provide for the passage of such commissions);
- consent to the processing of personal data;
- consent to the transfer of dossiers to universities.
As for the documents for enrollment required for those who have successfully passed all stages of selection, their list must be clarified in the higher education institution where you entered.
How are the selection tests conducted?
Earlier, we have already talked about how a foreigner can enter a Russian university, where we considered options for passing the exam and winning the Olympiad. However, not all foreigners have the opportunity to participate in the Unified State Exam. Therefore, for them, selection tests are carried out in a slightly different format.
Most often, candidates are invited to local Russian Centers of Culture and Science (RCSC), founded by Rossotrudnichestvo in more than 80 countries. If there is no RCSC applicant in the country, then the Embassy of the Russian Federation assumes its responsibilities. In rare cases, the commission may agree to a remote format of an online meeting. The selection test includes written and/or oral exams in the subjects of the selected educational program, as well as an interview with the applicant. Those who are going to enter specialties that require creative or physical talents, or special psychological qualities, undergo additional tests of the appropriate orientation.
What other grants and scholarship programs for foreigners are there in Russia?
1. Grants for students from the countries of the former USSR
The Ministry of Education and Science is discussing a project under which it is planned to issue 500 grants annually to students from the CIS countries, the Baltic States, Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The grant will be issued only to those foreigners who are prize-winners or winners of Olympiads from the list of the Ministry of Education and Science who have received a quota for free education at a Russian university. It is expected that it will include:
- covering the cost of travel to the place of study;
- payment of the VHI policy;
- an additional scholarship in the amount of the subsistence minimum of the region where the foreigner is studying. With a positive decision, the project will start working in 2022.
With a positive decision, the project will start working in 2022.
2. Financial University Scholarships
Two bonuses are available to foreign students studying at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation:
- Nominal scholarship of the rector of the Financial University M.A. Eskindarov. Only students older than the 1st year, who have grades not lower than “good” for the entire period of study, who take an active part in the scientific events of the university, can count on it.
- Nominal scholarship “Award of the Bar Association “Linnikov and Partners” for foreign students. This one-time payment can be claimed by all foreigners, except for citizens of the countries of the former USSR. Good grades are a must.
3. Potanin Foundation Scholarship
Undergraduates of 75 Russian universities (including foreigners) have a chance to improve their financial situation by winning a monthly scholarship of about 20,000 rubles. True, for this you will have to participate in the competition: write a motivation letter and 2 essays. One of them is on the topic of a future dissertation, and the other on a more abstract topic like leadership and responsibility. If the commission likes the work, the undergraduate will go to the second stage, where interviews and business games await him.