Romani students in the Czech Republic can apply to ROMEA for scholarships in June

Last year the ROMEA organization expanded its scholarship program to include support for Romani college students, and during the 2021/2022 school year the program will support Romani students of secondary schools, higher vocational schools, colleges and universtities. The application process will open at the beginning of June.

The program was launched in 2016 and has provided 214 Romani students with 365 scholarships so far. Several Romani scholarship recipients have been awarded funds repeatedly thanks to their academic results and their active involvement in the program.

The scholarships annually provide CZK 14 000 [EUR 535] to high school students, CZK 21 000 [EUR 800] to higher vocational school students and CZK 25 000 [EUR 950] to college and university students who are Romani. “In addition to the scholarship itself, students are also able to draw on additional funding to attend extracurricular language courses or to buy school supplies and other things associated with their studies that are necessary,” says Štefan Balog, the manager of the scholarship program.

Since 2016 the program has endeavored to support Romani students with achieving an education. From a longterm perspective, this means increasing the economic, political and social strength of Romani people as individuals and as representatives of Romani communities.

Through the program, ROMEA is attempting to increase the self-confidence of Romani youth in their own abilities and to get Romani people involved in decision-making processes in the Czech Republic, thanks to which it will be possible for them to achieve change with respect to the inequality they currently experience, both societally and structurally. For more information about the Romani Scholarship Program, please visit www.romskastipendia.cz.