73 percent of Albanian students struggle financially, according to DZHW survey

Tirana Times
By Tirana Times October 18, 2019 13:34

73 percent of Albanian students struggle financially, according to DZHW survey

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  • The study discovered that a large number of Albanian students did not come from families with a high education background, meaning that the parents’ level of education ranged from low to secondary

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TIRANA, Oct. 18 - Albanian students are among those who face the biggest financial issues in Europe, according to a survey conducted by the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW). The survey which aimed to assess the economic situation of students in all European countries during the 2016-2018 period, showed that 73 percent of Albanian students confirmed they had dealt with financial hardships, while 35 percent of the students claimed their issues were quite serious.

Out of all European countries, Albania and Georgia accounted for the highest number of students in poor financial conditions. The survey found that 23 percent of students in Georgia were in a difficult financial situation and 17 percent of Albanian students reported that their financial situation was seriously difficult, marking the highest numbers in Europe. On the other hand, the countries of Western Europe had the lowest number of students living in poverty and even then, those cases involved foreign students who were temporarily studying in Europe. The study discovered that a large number of Albanian students did not come from families with a high education background, meaning that the parents’ level of education ranged from low to secondary.

Moreover, the results of the study showed that Albania had the lowest number of employed students and/or students with previous job experience. Only 15 percent of students in Albania had some job experience, as opposed to the higher percentage of students in Western Europe; 52 percent of students in Iceland were employed. Albanian students were also not predisposed to postpone their Master studies. An average of 72 percent of students in Albania did not take longer than a year to pursue their Master’s degree.

However, during the last four years, the number of students in universities decreased significantly. In 2018, around 129 thousand students were enrolled in universities, 23 thousand of which were registered in private universities according to official data by INSTAT. As a result, there was a 7 percent decline in the number of registered students compared to the previous year. This decline is even more extreme when compared to the situation four years ago, where the number reached a record of 174 thousand students.This phenomenon is mainly caused by the aging trend of the population as well as the youth immigration. According to INSTAT, the population age group of 15 - 24 years old was reduced by 55 thousand people in 2017 compared to 2014.

 

Tirana Times
By Tirana Times October 18, 2019 13:34