Scholarship triggers no stampede of students

Tiina Kaukvere
, reporter
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Photo: Kaarel Tigas / SL Õhtuleht

This year, a €160 scholarship was launched for students in certain specialties – which still failed to gain popularity.

«It cannot be claimed that the option to apply for specialty-scholarship had any great effect on entrants, especially not so in Master’s studies,» admitted Anne Urbla, admissions and advisory head at Tallinn University of Technology, the institution with most specialties (30) where the scholarship applies. All in all, the list includes 51 curricula. 

«As information regarding the specialty-scholarships reached the universities and thus also the entrants immediately before the admissions period started, the notification time was short,» noted Ms Urbla while adding that they now have the entire year to spread the word. «Then we will see if next year’s applications and admissions reflect an increased interest towards these very specialties,» she said.

According Marge Kohtla, communications specialist at Estonian University of Life Sciences, there was enhanced interest, this year, towards Bachelor’s programme for foodstuff technology and Master’s for meat and milk technology only.  

«As for the other specialties covered by the scholarship option, the amount of applications was the usual,» noted Ms Kohtla, also underlining that the information was late in coming, wherefore student candidates could not be notified at educational exhibitions, open-door days and other informational events.

University of Tartu chief admissions-specialist Kaja Karo said it is hard to assess if it’s the very scholarships that affect popularity of the specialties concerned. «As, over these past years, the conditions for admissions have changed, it cannot be explicitly claimed it was the scholarship that had an effect,» underlined Ms Karo.

In the University of Tartu, only two study programmes have increased admissions year-on-year: genetic engineering and physics, at Master’s level. «Under the circumstances where every year has fewer and fewer graduating from gymnasiums, it’s the current norm with higher education to have admissions shrink. At universities, student places are reduced gradually, but the numbers of 12th graders do shrink a bit faster,» said Ms Karo.

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