Regional governments launch student support and educational subsidies

Various regional governments and national authorities across Central and Southeast Europe are implementing new financial support measures for students and families for the upcoming school year.

In Slovakia, the ‘Online žiak’ project is launching to provide free internet access to approximately 48,000 students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with special educational needs. The project, co-financed by the European Union, offers vouchers worth 480 euros to cover 24 months of connectivity. Additionally, Slovak parents of first-grade students will receive an automatic one-time increased child benefit of 170 euros in October to assist with school supplies.

In Croatia, several municipalities are introducing educational aid. Velika Gorica is offering 50 monthly scholarships of 100 euros for students in vocational programs for high-demand trades. The city of Rijeka is implementing a centralized transport model for extracurricular school trips, allocating 100,000 euros to reduce costs for parents and schools. In Zadar, the University is hosting the European Researchers' Night 2026.

Other regional initiatives include transport subsidies for high schoolers in Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where costs can be reduced by up to 100 percent for vulnerable groups. In Slovenia, new vehicles have been provided for transporting students with special needs in the Zasavje region, while municipalities in Istria are investing millions in school renovations and new facilities.