Georgian government will pay for college education for those who did conscription service in the military

The government will pay for 4 years of college education for those who served 12 months of conscript military service.

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili stated this at his meeting with youth at the Anaklia camp.

«Let’s say, a student has made it through the admittance break-line, but hasn’t got funding. The Defence Ministry offers all students to serve 12 months in the army and then the government will pay for four years of their education», said Mikheil Saakashvili.

The president noted that if a student served in the army for two years, then the government would fund his study at the Master’s level as well.

In his interview to Radio Liberty Irakli Aladashvili, editor-in-chief of the «Arsenali» military analysis magazine, noted the president’s initiative was hardly connected to any difficulties in army conscription.

According to Mr. Aladashvili, conscription plan is always implemented in full. Possibly, the country’s authorities want to raise the prestige of military service, to attract most intellectual part of youth into the army, at the same time helping young people from lower-income families to pay for education in prestigious colleges.

Georgian army is mostly manned on a contractual basis, but conscription is active, too. Conscription service may be officially postponed if one pays GEL 2,000 (about US$1,200).

English translation BSN
Adapted from Georgia online, NEWS.am