Young persons from families on low incomes and families with many children, who are orphans or disabled, both from rural and urban areas, can apply for an additional scholarship to pay the tuition fees and for living costs while they study at universities, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a news conference on July 19, Angela Muset, director of the Educational Advising Center, said that the second project of the kind is aimed at providing financial support to young people from socially underprivileged families and facilitating their access to higher education institutions. There will be also offered the informational support needed to integrate these people into society. Angela Muset said the contest is open to first-year-students of state universities in full-time education, studying for a university degree, and to students who won scholarships within the first project and want to renew them. The applicants must have an average grade of at least 8.5 for humanities and of 8 for exact sciences. According to the director of the Educational Advising Center, the total value of the scholarships is US$285,000. The highest scholarship is US$1,500. Those who want to apply must file applications to the Center and have an interview. The applications can be submitted between September 1 and 30. Deputy Minister of Education Loretta Handrabura said the state is able to provide scholarships of different types to 70% of the students. “The project allows the persons to obtain an additional scholarship, no matter whether they study on a contract basis or hold a budget-funded place. That’s why this possibility must motivate them to have a good academic standing, be active citizens with moral principles and take part in volunteer activities,” she stated. Last year, the scholars of the Additional Scholarships for Young People from Deprived Families included 264 students from 18 national education institutions. The scholarships came to US$255,000. The project is implemented by the Educational Advising Center with financial support from the Open Society Foundations’ Emergency Fund, and is administered by Soros Foundation Moldova at national level. It is supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor Social Protection and Family.