Moldovan Roma are unhappy with not being able to get scholarships in universities. They say they are marginalized although the regulation of entering universities provides easier access for this minority, Info-Prim Neo reports. A leader of the Roma's Voice Coalition, Marin Alla, told a news conference Friday that the Gypsies aspiring to enter universities have no chance to get a state scholarship from those 15 per cent of places destined to certain social categories. According to Marin Alla, the Roma cannot get budget-supported places because they are the last on the list with persons entitled, as priority is given to the ones heading the list. “There have been cases when Roma candidates to a scholarship had an average mark of 9.35 and have not got budget place,” Marin Alla complains. An official of Moldova State University responsible for selecting students, Constantin Marin, has told Info-Prim Neo the Roma have all the chances to get budgetary places, since the representatives of the categories heading the list do not always aspire to a budget place. Constantin Marin has confirmed the aspirants are selected according to the priority set in the list. Out of 1,694 scholarships offered by the State University, 241 will be given to candidates enjoying facilitated entrance. The university admission regulation, 12 categories can benefit of those 15% of places. The Roma were included into the list in 2005 and thus are the last. According to the university admission plan for 2008, the Government will pay scholarships for 10,758 places. Out of those, 9,893 are for daily attendance and 865 – for non-attending studies. 750 places are offered to students from Transnistria. 14,602 are offered on contract basis. According to the 2004 census, 12,500 Roma live in Moldova, as 40 % of them have never gone to school.