Minister Grabar-Kitarović awarded scholarships to students members of Croatian national minority, emigration and immigration

The MFAEI granted a total of 178 scholarships for 2006, out of which 159 to college and 19 to high school students. Croatian national minority students received 128 scholarships, while other 31 went to emigration and immigration students. High school emigration and immigration students received 11, while national minority high school students received 8 scholarships.

For three said categories of the Croatian population, scholarships are granted pursuant to the Regulations on the realisation of the Croatian language learning fees and scholarships for emigrants, immigrants, and members of the Croatian national minority. For said scholarship, 3 mil. kunas have been allocated in the Croatian 2006 budget.

The competition for 2005/2006 scholarships was launched 15 February 2006 and received 1409 applications, 635 more than last year. Criteria for receiving a scholarship are: membership of one of three said categories, high school applicants must not be older than 18 yrs, college applicants 25 yrs, no failed grades/years at the time of applying, grade average, and social status.

Out of the overall 2006 budget, 500,000 kunas go to scholarships for the 26 attendees of the CROATICUM’s winter semester and 66 of the summer semester. CROATICUM is a Croatian language and culture course held at Zagreb’s Faculty of Arts for foreigners and members of the Croatian emigration with poor or no knowledge of the Croatian language.