The budgetary department of the university. The right to free education in universities

The phrase "free education" has long become a humorous expression. In the new socio-economic conditions in which our country has lived since 1991, the right to study exists, but no one guarantees that such services will be provided completely free of charge.

Consider the issue of eligibility for such education at a university.

So is there any hope for today's high school graduates?

There is certainly such a hope. Many of the graduates of this year and the following years will study at budgetary places, receive a long-awaited scholarship. Many, but not all.

After all, a completely free education in the Russian Federation is provided only in schools, and even then there are paid additional educational services. It is also possible to study for free in colleges and universities, but not everyone who wants to find themselves in such places.

If you have a benefit (you are a disabled person, an orphan, a son or daughter of a Hero of Russia), then it is easier for you to get a university place on a budgetary place, but if you are not one of the beneficiaries, everything becomes much more complicated, and you apply on a general basis.

And to enter a university for a budgetary place on a general basis is very, very difficult.

But about everything in more detail.

Everything about budget-funded places in universities

Every year the Ministry of Education determines the number of budgetary places in our country. As you know, such places assume that an applicant who enters a university will receive his education completely free of charge (that is, without investing his personal funds in it), and also the state itself will pay him even a small material incentive (in other words, a scholarship) ...

However, if the applicant does not score enough points to be admitted to a budgetary place, he can study in a paid department, paying each semester a certain fee for his studies at the university (naturally, he will not receive any scholarships).

Here, it would seem, budget-funded places in universities - this is a real free education. However, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

After all, then our education system would be just perfect, and this is far from the case.

Number of budget places

The number of budget places is calculated by the number of school graduates. It is equal to about half of all eleventh graders in the country who leave the walls of high school.

At the same time, not every second graduate of the school eventually enters a budget-funded place at a university, because in addition to yesterday's schoolchildren, there are also college graduates, as well as graduates of previous years. As a result, across the country, the competition for budget seats averages 4-5 people per seat. For some specialties, the competition is less, for others it is several times larger and reaches 20-30 people per budgetary place.

It all depends on the prestige of a particular specialty.

Therefore, with such "arithmetic" it becomes much more difficult to get a free education at a university.

The number of budget places in full-time and part-time departments

It should be noted that the number of budget places in full-time and part-time departments, as a rule, differs. Higher education institutions allocate more places to full-time departments, and less to correspondence departments.

It also happens that it is generally impossible to get a correspondence education for free. There are specialties in universities, but they are completely transferred to a paid basis.

The only thing that can be advised to the applicant is to collect as much useful information as possible. The exact number of budget places is always known in the spring. All universities have their own websites, where you can always find a page for applicants. The admission plan is always posted on this page.

Hence the advice - if you want to get a free education, do your best to achieve your goal. Find out in advance the number of budget places for a particular educational profile and calculate your strength.

What specialties can you apply for free?

There is a fairly large number of specialties in universities that are considered not prestigious, so there is little competition for them.

Trends, of course, change over time, but in general there are always such professions.

For example, every fifth or sixth large university has teaching specialties, which involve training with the qualification “teacher of the Russian language”. And there is another department, after graduating from which you can get a diploma no longer as a teacher, but as a philologist or journalist. Of course, the last two professions are considered more prestigious, therefore there is more competition for the budget for them.

The same can be said about other professions: livestock technician, specialist in socio-cultural activities, librarian, and so on. Here it will not be difficult for a school graduate with an average USE score to enter a budgetary place.

But, for example, it will be much more difficult to become a lawyer or an economist for free. And as a specialist in international law - and even more so ...

What is a target location?

However, there is another opportunity for free. It is connected with admission to the so-called "target" place.

What is it about? The fact that an agreement is concluded between the employer of a potential applicant and the university, according to which the employer pays for the education of a young student, and then he has the right to demand that the specialist work for him for a certain number of years. Often such an employer is the state itself, represented by ministries and departments that need specialists of a certain kind of training.

For example, doctors are needed for a constituent entity of the federation (there is an acute shortage of them now). A quota of 30-70 target places is allocated for this subject. and studies on an equal basis with other students, however, after receiving a diploma, he is obliged to work for several years in public medical institutions of the subject, thanks to which he received his target place.

Otherwise, the student is obliged to reimburse the state for his education in full.

Can I get professional retraining for free?

Some young people who already have higher education, over time, realize that the profession does not suit them.

But they have already received higher education for free once in their lives. They have a need to undergo professional retraining to engage in a new type of professional activity.

Is this possible? Yes, it is possible, but if budget-funded places in universities are still preserved, then additional professional education is offered exclusively as a paid type of educational service. Therefore, such a person, in fact, has two ways of solving his problem.

The first solution: pay for your tuition yourself.

Second solution: try to get the employer to pay.

In fact, there are cases when employers are interested in raising the level of professional skills of their employees and even giving them the opportunity to get the right to engage in a new type of professional activity.

This can be used to get a professional retraining diploma for free.

Is it possible to get a second higher education without payment?

Unfortunately, according to the law on education in our country, it is impossible to get a second free education at a university. The state guarantees only one education. Let's make a reservation right away that we are not talking about continuing education, for example, in a magistracy or graduate school.

But, alas, it will not be possible to study for a bachelor's program twice for free or to stay in a master's program twice. This applies even to those cases when the first higher education was also paid for.

Is it possible to transfer from a paid branch to a free one?

Many students who enter the paid departments of universities, sparing their financial resources, and sometimes simply not having enough of them, tend to transfer from the paid department to the free one.

Thus, they want to get higher education for free, only starting not with the first year, but a little higher.

Is this possible?

In general, this is possible, but there are certain nuances that you need to know.

First, a paid student can get a budget-funded place only if the university has vacant budget-funded places. Simply put, if one of the state-funded students was expelled. Further, it is necessary that his translation was coordinated with the curator of the group, the dean of the faculty. Many universities prescribe the rules for transferring from a paid department to the budget, indicating that such a student-candidate for a budgetary place must be an excellent student or good, must show his best side, his teachers must speak positively about him, etc.

If secondary education was received for free, is it possible to enter a university on a budget?

Yes, such a procedure is possible. Secondary specialized and secondary vocational education will not prevent a young person from continuing his studies at a higher educational institution. Moreover, college graduates today have an opportunity that school graduates are deprived of: they can enter universities without the USE, passing only entrance exams.

Moreover, practice shows that such applicants receive higher scores on entrance exams than school graduates, so they are more likely to get a budget place.

What can help an applicant get a budget place?

Well, firstly, good knowledge in the field of those sciences that he will have to study. A high USE for a modern school graduate is a "real ticket" not only to a budget place, but also to a prestigious university.

Secondly, the applicant needs to show real ingenuity, study carefully all those specialties that are offered in universities, find out what competition for these specialties, etc.

Thirdly, the applicant must know their rights well. Nowadays, members of admissions committees, at the suggestion of heads of universities, refuse to accept documents for budget education for far-fetched reasons. This is done in order not to admit “people from the street” to budget education. Therefore, the applicant himself and his parents must firmly know all their rights and be able to defend them.

Are there other opportunities to get a budget place?

Basically, we have listed all the ways to a budget place above. There are, however, several more ways. For example, there are free contests of the Ministry of Education. The prize for winning them often becomes the right to a budget place in a particular university. Also, in rare cases, a university can accept a promising student not for a budget place, but for a place that he himself will finance from his own funds.

Thus, in general, everything depends on the will of the heads of universities themselves and the executive secretary of the selection committee.

What conclusions can be drawn?

Based on the above, we can conclude that it is possible to get an education free of charge in modern conditions. However, this requires a lot of effort. It is also necessary to have high academic performance, to be able to navigate the modern labor market, to choose the right specialty and a suitable university correctly.

In fact, today, despite the significant progress made, it is also difficult for a person dreaming of knowledge and an academic degree to prove their worth, as in the time of M.V. Lomonosov. What the Russian genius did not survive to get the proper degree of education: deprivation, hunger, and cold. Meanwhile, he also studied at public expense, that is, in modern terms, he took a budget place.

His example proves that those who want to study can get higher education for free. Therefore, everything is in our hands: our successes and our defeats. You just need to boldly go forward and not be afraid of anything.

In modern society, specialists with specialized education are becoming more and more in demand. Even in high school, students and their parents begin to be interested in the question of how to enter the budget and get an education with minimal financial costs. It should be noted that the process of admission to higher educational institutions of the country has become much easier in recent years. The decline in the birth rate at the end of the last century lowered the threshold of the required knowledge, and even poorly prepared applicants have the opportunity to enter not the most prestigious educational institution. Competition for admission to a university exists only in the most popular metropolitan higher educational institutions.

Preselection

Interested in whether it is possible to enroll on the budget, each student should understand that the success of this event depends entirely on the number of points received when passing the exam. Serious and responsible work at school, especially in the last years of study, will allow each applicant to choose a specialty in accordance with vocation and interests. Practical advice on how to enter the budget does not guarantee success with average USE scores.

It is necessary not only to follow and understand the school curriculum, but also to improve your school knowledge by attending specialized courses. Having chosen the direction of study and the desired specialty, the student must also decide on the selection of specific subjects for more in-depth study. For example, if you want to enter a university with a mathematical bias, you should pay special attention to the study of mathematics and attend preparatory courses in this particular subject.

Desires and possibilities

Having a desire to enter a university on a budget, it should be understood that the number of places is limited, the choice will be made from the most prepared applicants. A large army of all kinds of tutors and assistants is always ready to provide their knowledge to prepare yesterday's student for admission. They can explain how to proceed with the budget with the lowest financial costs. A thorough study of the answers to exam questions and teaching how to successfully pass a variety of tests when passing the exam is the primary task of preparatory courses and individual tutors.

The choice of a university that provides budget-funded places may not always coincide with the student's desire, but when choosing where to go on a budget, every opportunity and every chance should be used. You can decide on the specialization and the choice of further specialized education later. There is an opportunity after the end of the first year of study to transfer to another university and continue studies in a different specialty.

Training courses

Having made a choice of a university and having decided on a future specialty, it is necessary to enroll in preparatory courses. Usually classes for them are paid, but the price, as a rule, is quite affordable. Preparation, therefore, is an investment in the future, you should not spare money on it. Classes can take place several times a week - on weekdays or only on weekends.

Some universities take into account the results of the final exams in the preparatory courses upon admission. That is, the applicant has the opportunity to make a second attempt in case of failure. Based on the results of passing exams on courses, about 80% of applicants enter a higher educational institution. This opportunity should not be ignored.

Benefits for applicants

In search of an answer to the question of how to enter the budget, one should not forget about the advantages that participation in some specialized Olympiads gives. Many higher educational institutions take into account the high results obtained at the Olympiad competitions, and immediately assign their holders a passing 100 points. Especially prestigious are the grades received at the All-Russian Olympiads.

For a limited circle of people, the question of whether it is possible to enter the budget is solved even more simply. There are significant benefits for students with disabilities and orphans when entering a university. But unscrupulous applicants sometimes acquire false certificates and receive free education without having any right to do so.

You can simultaneously submit documents to 5 universities. But in the most prestigious educational institutions, upon admission, it is required to pass an entrance exam in a specialized subject.

Benefits of budget education

Why are applicants so eager to go to college or higher education on a budget? Free training attracts many people, not only because of the savings in money and significant cost savings. Some employers are not particularly fond of graduates of paid faculties. The ability to pay for education does not always indicate the brilliance of an applicant for a vacant position. Obtaining education at the expense of their basic knowledge and developmental abilities speaks about the disposition of the university graduate to learning and his ability to think independently.

In addition, students who successfully complete the program receive a scholarship throughout their studies. Its size, as a rule, depends on the current academic performance. This not only supports the student financially, but also increases his self-esteem.

With free education, there is always a real possibility of being expelled prematurely. In the case of chronic academic failure or in violation of the norms of behavior, students are expelled from the educational institution very quickly.

Distance learning

Not every applicant has the opportunity to study in the daytime; there is a real opportunity to enroll in absentia on a budget. To do this, you need to choose a university that teaches the chosen specialty, and find out if it provides distance learning. When submitting an application, it should be indicated that the applicant is entering a university for the first time and has not previously had a higher education. Admission to the correspondence department, as a rule, is carried out based on the results of entrance examinations. If they pass them successfully, the applicant enters the university and will study on a budgetary basis.

Passing the entrance exam

Upon admission to some universities with a special profile, it is required to pass an additional exam in a majoring subject. Especially often this type of entrance examinations is used when trying to enter the budget in Moscow. The exam, as a rule, is difficult, and the examiner will need not only excellent knowledge of the subject in which the applicant's knowledge will be assessed, but also a sufficient amount of resourcefulness and ingenuity, a high level of resistance to stressful situations.

In this case, every little thing is of great importance - the place where the applicant will be, his appearance and the ability to quickly mobilize and concentrate. It is best to sit in the middle row and not draw attention to yourself. Clothing should be clean, modest, and free from unpleasant associations. The classic business style will be quite appropriate.

Help and cheat sheets

Preparing for the exam requires the mandatory writing of cheat sheets. There is no need to take them with you. When compiling cheat sheets, the material is usually filtered by relevance and is clearly presented during the exam - this is their benefit. The risk that they will be seen on the exam is very high.

You should not rely on an over-educated neighbor and get ready to write off from him. Applicants come to the exam, as a rule, with the same pre-university training; you can easily add a neighbor's mistakes to your own examination work.

In some cases, examiners can also help. They will always answer a sensible question with great readiness. A good teacher's sincere desire to get a high mark on the exam always evokes respect and affection for the applicant.

Budget education at a private university

Since 2012, it has become possible for applicants to study at the expense of budgetary funds and to private educational institutions. Not only universities, but also secondary vocational institutions accept students at the expense of state funding. The distribution of places for applicants takes place on a competitive basis. A strict selection is made in accordance with the usual admission rules. More than 4500 people were able to receive specialized education in this way without spending their own money.

Students of private universities have the same rights and obligations as in state educational institutions. In the same way, the scholarship will be awarded during the study. The amount of the scholarship received and the methods of its accrual are in accordance with the general rules for organizing student payments.

Each graduate of the school understands how important it is for a future successful career to receive a prestigious and high-quality higher education. Unfortunately, it is no secret that training on a contractual basis today is not cheap and not every family can afford it. The number of vacancies financed from the state budget is so limited that competitions for such positions are sometimes simply frightening. Today we will talk about the chances of an applicant to get the opportunity to study at public expense and what efforts should be made for this.

Basic knowledge level

Of course, in order not just to enter a university, but at the same time not to pay for tuition, receive a scholarship and, if necessary, live in a middle-level student hostel, school knowledge is not enough. It is necessary to have a high-quality certificate and high results of the unified state examination (USE). Some higher educational institutions offer to pass additional exams or interviews upon admission - here it is also important to show a deep knowledge of the school curriculum, competent and fluent speech, the ability to analyze questions, clearly and essentially formulate answers. When making a decision, the members of the selection committee evaluate not only the absolute results, but also the general impression made by the applicant.

You should not be led by the popular opinion: "You just need to give money to the management of the institute - and a budgetary place is guaranteed." The selection procedure is so transparent and controlled that such a way to get a free vacancy is completely ruled out today. Better to spend these funds on good preparatory courses or hire professional tutors. This way you can expand your range of knowledge beyond the standard school curriculum and thereby increase your chances of admission to the chosen university.

Who can qualify for a free education

Only applicants who receive higher education for the first time can apply for a budgetary form of education. Those who have already studied at the university once and decided to get a second specialty will have to pay for their education.

The right to enter outside the general competition is given to the winners of contests and olympiads, however, from this year - only for one specialty. If a future student submits documents to several educational institutions, or for several specialties in one university, he can take part in the competition on a general basis.

Similar benefits for admission are provided to those categories of applicants for whom state social guarantees apply - in particular, full orphans, disabled people, and combatants.

There is also a targeted set of directions given by enterprises, institutions or organizations in need of young specialists of a particular profile. However, in this case, you should be prepared for the fact that after graduation you will have to work at this enterprise for at least three years, most likely, having a small salary and not always comfortable working conditions. Therefore, before taking a target direction, weigh the pros and cons of such an admission option.

State and non-state universities

Currently, not only state, but also private higher educational institutions have received training on a free basis. There is only one main condition: such a university must have a state license and accreditation. This is a positive trend, which leads not only to an increase in free vacancies for students, but also significantly expands the list of specialties. Therefore, today a student who wants to study at public expense has a fairly wide selection of diversified educational institutions.

Free education for foreign citizens

Citizens of foreign states (including the countries of the former USSR) who have not previously received education in Russia at the expense of the federal budget can apply for free education in Russian universities. The same opportunity is provided to stateless persons residing in the territory of the Russian Federation (if they have a residence permit), persons with dual citizenship and compatriots living abroad. For these categories of applicants, the selection is carried out on a general basis.

Since foreigners do not have such a parameter as the results of a unified state exam, a so-called "certificate competition" is held for them. When submitting documents, you must make sure that all of them are translated into Russian and appropriately certified or legalized by means of an apostille. It is recommended to check the details with the embassies or consulates before submitting the documents, or contact the selected university directly for clarification.

What else needs to be considered by state students

Due to the fact that the number of state-funded educational vacancies is limited, some higher education institutions take such a step as a discount on tuition. The university administration may offer a discount on paid education to a student who has shown deep knowledge at the entrance exams or who has shown a high USE score, but did not pass the competition "for the budget". In some cases, its size reaches 100%, that is, training becomes free. However, such a student, of course, will not receive a scholarship. In addition, discounts are usually granted for a specific period (academic year or semester). Therefore, there is a possibility that a student who has not justified the trust of teachers will have to pay in the future for obtaining a specialty on a general basis.

Also, keep in mind that getting federal funding for your education is only half the battle. It is necessary to regularly attend classes, to pass examination sessions on time and with high quality - otherwise, you can lose not only scholarships, but also the opportunity to continue your studies on a budgetary basis.

For applicants who have a low USE score, it is recommended to enroll in technical specialties. Unlike economic ones, the competition here is much lower, and in some cases there is even a shortage of students for budget places.

A second higher education for a modern person has ceased to be an attribute of prestige or an indicator of a special craving for knowledge, having turned into a vital necessity. Many employers want to see in the resume of applicants for their vacancies information about the presence of two university or college degrees. However, the price of such "pleasure" is often too high for the average layman, so the question of how to get a second higher education for free is still of interest to many future applicants.

Legislation

Russian laws regulating the activities of higher education classify a second education at a university as an exclusively paid service, the price of which depends on the following factors:

1. Individual student curriculum. Obtaining a second specialty usually provides for the transfer of some previously studied disciplines. If there are quite a few of them, then it matters how the fee is charged:
   • a fixed amount, regardless of the number of items;
   • for the passed academic hours.
2. Form of study. The price of the course largely depends on the format of the program, which can be full-time, evening, distance, part-time, etc.

Tuition fees can be accepted in a lump sum, by semester or every month, both from the students themselves and from the organizations that sent them to study.

The right to a free second higher education is established by the law on the status of military personnel (Article 19 of the Federal Law No. 76) for those who:

• received his first diploma at a higher military educational institution;
• served in the army under a contract for at least 3 years (you can enroll free of charge, regardless of the direction of previous vocational training).

Free education options without benefits

If you do not belong to any of the statutory groups of beneficiaries, you should not postpone the desire to study until better times. There are many loopholes in the rules on the compulsory payment for a second degree, which will allow a wider range of applicants to get a second degree for free.

Out of someone else's pocket

The "most legal" way of free education for a student is to pay for it by other persons or organizations:

1. Payment employer. If you are a particularly valuable and promising employee, and the company needs to expand your skills, then to improve your qualifications you can be sent to study a second specialty at the expense of the enterprise. In state institutions, this is possible after 5 years of experience, and for private traders - in agreement with the management. Such payment imposes the following obligations on the student:
   • after graduating from the university, work in the sending organization for the number of years specified in the signed contract;
   • reimburse the costs to the employer in case of interruption of the course of study at the initiative of the student or expulsion for academic failure.
2. Receiving a grant. There are many different foundations where you can get a grant to study in any domestic or foreign university, regardless of the number of existing diplomas. You just need to prove that you are worthy of it: make a presentation of the project of your future activities, etc.

The grant, in addition to paying for the training itself, may also provide for: a scholarship, reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs, insurance, etc.

Second education within the first

A master's program provides an opportunity to receive a second higher education free of charge in cases where it is counted as an increase in educational level as part of primary education, but its profile differs from the qualifications you already have. The right to study in the master's program is absolutely free for certified bachelors, and sometimes for specialists (this point must be clarified in a specific university). Moreover, in some areas it is much easier to enroll in a magistrate than in the first year of a bachelor's degree.

The method of "unfinished diploma" to save on paying for a second university education from September 1, 2013 is suitable for those who want to try themselves in completely different fields out of purely sporting interest for free. But for collecting a collection of "under-diplomas" he no longer works. Incomplete higher education still gives the right to study in another specialty from scratch, that is, within the framework of the first free education. But the diploma of incomplete higher education, which previously could be obtained on a budgetary basis an unlimited number of times, after studying at least 2 full courses, is no longer issued.

With the entry into force of Federal Law No. 273, the concepts of "incomplete" and "incomplete" higher education have been abolished, respectively, there are no documents confirming their presence either. Instead of them, universities now issue not even academic certificates, but simple "scribbles" about the period of study (12th point of the 60th article).

It is unlikely that an employer would be impressed by even a dozen such testimonials to learn "something and somehow."

Cunning is the second happiness

• by submitting only a school certificate to the selection committee and studying in any form on a budgetary basis;
• simultaneously with full-time study, receiving a second higher education free of charge by correspondence, providing the first university with a certificate, and in the second - a diploma of secondary vocational education and a copy of the certificate, citing the loss of the original.

Going to such a trick, it should be borne in mind that the disclosure of deception is likely to end with expulsion from the "occupied" university.

Incomplete payment

If all the ways to get a second higher education are not completely free, you can try to reduce the payment at least partially:

1. If the expansion of your professional competencies is included in the plans of the employer, he can take a share in the tuition fees.
2. Choose the least expensive form of study - for example, a correspondence course is always much cheaper than a full-time course.
3. Consider training in a profession of interest in another city or region as an alternative - you have to pay much less for education outside the capital's universities.

So it is quite possible to choose an acceptable option for obtaining a second higher education for free or for minimal money - there would be a desire.

Master's program remotely. Correspondence form of study in the magistracy. Benefits, terms of training.

Modern high technologies open up unique opportunities that were inaccessible to past generations of students. You can study in a magistracy remotely - it is profitable, convenient, interesting. The master's degree is remotely useful for people wishing to build a scientific career, it is fundamental training, instrumental skills and knowledge, high professionalism.

Advantages of a master's program remotely:

• obtaining a master's degree on the job;
• when teaching remotely, gaining experience in practical activities is easier;
• the possibility of continuing education in another specialty - qualification + second specialty = a successful career.

After completing training and obtaining a bachelor's degree, there is an opportunity to continue education in such a form of study as a correspondence master's degree. Studying on a full-time basis in a magistracy, students complete the entire course most fully, but studying in a magistracy by correspondence is not as easy as it might seem at first. Yes, such strict requirements are not imposed on the students of correspondence departments of the magistracy, the attendance of the university is not controlled, the masters get more freedom for independent study. But in the case of correspondence courses in the magistracy, a significant part of the knowledge comes from teachers and, most importantly, to be ready for academic discipline and self-control. If a student of the correspondence magistracy has a low academic performance, he will not be expelled, but this will be a specific failure in the quality of knowledge, which will certainly have a bad effect on career growth.

The need for distance learning

The correspondence form of the magistracy is chosen by those applicants who already have a bachelor's degree and cannot continue their studies in full-time form, responsible employees who do not want to interrupt their work. Part-time education in the magistracy is the most acceptable option for those who have to combine study with work, want to get a quality education without leaving their hometown or village, have minor children, and want to acquire a demanded specialty.

The learning process in the correspondence magistracy consists of a course of survey lectures, practical exercises, independent work and attestations (tests, examination sessions). Master's students have the opportunity to practice in their enterprises and organizations in the direction of the department.

Additional advantages of a master's program by correspondence:

• it is easier to enroll in the correspondence department of magistracy;
• relatively low cost of training;
• the possibility of employment in a specialty at a university.
• During the examination sessions, a hostel is provided for nonresident graduate students.

The term of study in the magistracy by correspondence is 2.5 years.

Detailed information about universities in Russia that provide education at the correspondence department of magistracy, magistracy remotely, tuition fees and requirements for applicants can be found on the website.