12.08.2025, 15:50 40211

Over 93,000 Students Received Grants in 2025

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At a Government session, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek reported that in 2025, the Unified National Testing (UNT) was held from May 16 to July 10 at 46 regional centers. More than 210,200 applicants took part, of whom 76.35% (160,500 people) passed the threshold score. The average score was 69.42, primeminister.kz reports.

In 2025, about 113,000 applications were submitted for the competition for state educational grants, which is 9,000 more than last year. This year, 93,232 grants were allocated for training personnel with higher and postgraduate education, including 77,084 grants for higher education. As a result of the competition, 99% of the grants were awarded," the Minister noted.

In particular, 2,500 grants were awarded to young people from the Atyrau and Mangystau regions, 2,004 grants under the Serpin project, 2,365 grants for studying at branches of foreign universities, 9,500 grants for children from socially vulnerable groups, and 2,100 grants were given to kandases (ethnic Kazakhs returning to Kazakhstan). For the first time, 2,010 educational grants were allocated to citizens who had completed compulsory military service.

Additional student support measures include scholarships doubled compared to 2020, differentiated grants, and the Unified Voluntary Accumulative System Keleshek introduced this year. As in previous years, in addition to state grants, about 5,000 grants are funded by local administrations (akimats), employers, various funds, and university rectors.

As part of the Head of State’s instructions to provide student housing, in 2025 it is planned to commission 29 dormitories with 10,439 places - 20 for university students and 9 for college students. To date, 4 dormitories with 3,528 places have already been commissioned: two with 652 places in Turkistan and two with 2,876 places in Astana. Before the start of the academic year, another 19 dormitories with 4,228 places are expected to open in Astana, Almaty, the Abai, Akmola, Kostanay, Almaty, Zhambyl, and Turkistan regions, and Shymkent city. In addition, by the end of 2025, another 6 dormitories with 2,683 places will be commissioned - five in Almaty and one in Astana.

The mechanism for state orders for dormitory construction has been optimized: the standard per place (MCI) was increased by 40%, and the placement period for the state order was reduced from 8 to 6 years. These mechanisms have made it possible to build dormitories with modern design, green campus concepts, and layouts suitable for international students. Such dormitories have been commissioned in Astana, Almaty, and Petropavl.

Given the expected influx of students at the start of the academic year, especially in Almaty and Astana, the Ministry organized situational and crisis centers. This year, the situational center is located at the Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, and the crisis center at the M. Tynyshpayev Kazakh University of Transport and Logistics. The situational center informs students about dormitory availability, while the crisis centers provide housing in force majeure situations. The national situational center employs 10 staff to provide students and their parents with information on dormitory places and university admissions. The crisis center has a reserve dormitory with 55 places.

In all universities, situational centers and project offices operate to support students in need of assistance. Since last year, the service of providing dormitory places for students has been transferred to an automated proactive format. For its implementation, the Smart Data Ukimet system and the Unified Higher Education Platform information system have been integrated. This has reduced administrative burdens, eliminated corruption risks, and ensured fair and transparent distribution of state assistance.

We are creating a single digital ecosystem around the main recipient of public services - the applicant and the student. This ecosystem covers the entire process - from taking the Unified National Testing with the use of artificial intelligence to online generation of the diploma number," Sayasat Nurbek stressed.

All data on students and graduates are accumulated in the Unified Higher Education Platform. These data are considered the reference for other government agencies. For example, they are automatically transmitted through integrations to provide deferments from military service or compulsory social health insurance.

In addition, under the AI-Sana program, students have developed AI agents that simplify information searches and serve as virtual assistants during admission and studies. Under the same program, all students take a basic course in artificial intelligence. To date, about 390,000 students have completed such courses. In higher education, Kazakhstan has introduced mandatory AI studies as part of the state educational standard.

During the summer months, major repairs are being carried out at 58 university facilities, with current renovations at more than 560 facilities. All repair work is planned to be completed by August 20. In addition, university buildings and dormitories are equipped with video surveillance systems, turnstiles, alarm buttons, and fire safety equipment. More than 80 university facilities have approved terrorist security passports and signed contracts with licensed security agencies.

Student ombudsmen operate in all regions to promptly resolve student issues. They address questions arising during studies, dormitory settlement, and socialization, working with the Ministry to find solutions. Over the past two years, more than 6,000 people have approached student ombudsmen, and their issues have been resolved. Student ombudsmen are also actively involved in matters of admission and dormitory settlement.

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Over 93,000 Students Received Grants in 2025

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