Over 380 students from 20 universities from Moldova participated in the 13th edition of the Merit Scholarships contest. After considering the lodged files and the essays on the topic “Youths for the state, the state for the youths”, 62 students from 12 universities became entitled to get merit scholarships, Info-Prim Neo reports. Three from those 62 students got 1st degree scholarships, 10,000 lei worth each, 19 – 2nd degree scholarships worth 6,000 lei each, and 40 students got 3rd degree scholarships worth 4,000 lei. The handing ceremony is scheduled for June 11 at the National Philharmonics. The program “Merit Scholarships” was launched by the Soros Foundation-Moldova back in 1996 to encourage academic, scientific and extra-curriculum performances of Moldovan students. Since 2001, the initiative has been supported by Moldova Agroindbank, and since 2004 – also by Orange Moldova. Since 2003, the contest is organized by the University Information Center, under the aegis of the Rectors Council. During those 13 years, almost 900 students have benefited of merit scholarships, as the award ceremony has become a corner-stone issue in the Moldovan university life.