Grigor Minasyan studies at the Exeter University in Great Britain. He is a first-year student in the Department of International Relations. He managed to enter such quite high-ranking university thanks to his two years of study at the Thailand Regent School that offers the degree of IB (International Baccalaureate).

The teaching language in the schools offering the IB degree is English and a certain part of the students enrolled there should be foreign. Such schools are spread all over the world and they permit graduates to apply to any university of the world, if you have relevant scores. Grigor entered the Regent School by taking his exams in Armenia. As a result, he was given a 90% tuition discount, paying only $ 20 000 for his studies. After finishing the Regent School, Grigor applied to the Exeter University and was enrolled there in 2008. “I could apply to higher ranking universities with my scores, but I realized that I won’t get any financial assistance from anybody and applied to a university with lower tuition fees,” Grigor said. The lowest tuition fee for such European universities amounts to $40-45,000 annually. And one can pay such tuition fees when the student doesn’t use the university canteen. Grigor says that he has applied to all possible sources for financial assistance.

Requests to Armenian government go unanswered

“I have applied to all benevolent organizations or benefactors that we have. I even addressed a letter to the president of Armenia, but my every effort was in vain.  I applied to RoA Education Ministry, where they told me to wait for the “Louys” Foundation to start functioning so that I can get their financial assistance. I turned to the RoA Prime Minister, but again received no response.  I heard about “Louys” foundation and that the only thing they did was to finance Jivan Gasparyan’s concert. I can’t find any connections between the concert and the students who need to study abroad. I have given up   hope to get assistance from that foundation long ago,” Grigor said. Grigor said the following about the European educational system: “I don’t have many lectures, but I have plenty of time for self-education. There is a huge library where I study with pleasure. Besides, I have great opportunities to get profound knowledge in my profession.” Grigor’s parents have paid the tuition fee for the first year of studies as well as their son’s living expenses with great difficulty. “I can’t say that I am from a poor family. We are a normal average family with an average income, but my parents just can’t pay that much money for my studies. I feel so embarrassed. I had to pay for my computer here myself by earning some money writing research papers for my friends,” he said. Grigor also has a17 year-old old sister who is going to finish school this year and enter the Medical University this year. He has a small brother who is still in school. This year Grigor hopes that he may get some assistance from the “Benlyan” and “Gulbenkian” foundations. But he thinks that these foundations can cover only a small amount of his tuition fee. “Only Armenian students of our university have such financial problems. There are four of us. There is not a single student of other nationalities that does not get state financial assistance. Only the Armenian students have to undergo such conditions,” he said.

Turkey offers financial assistance; shouldn’t Armenia?

He is sure that the state should support its students. “We are going to come back and invest our knowledge and skills in the country we belong to. I am going to join the army when I return to Armenia. After the army I am going to live and work in Armenia. I have never entertained the thought of staying overseas and not going back.  I am Armenian and I am going to live and work in Armenia. Besides, our state officials should realize that foreign states provide a high quality education.  I already have some qualifications and may achieve more in two years,” Grigor emphasized. Grigor told us that his friends from other countries are financed by their states in two ways. The richer states either completely or unconditionally pay their tuition fees, while students from less wealthy states get credits from their countries. “When they graduate and return to their countries and become employed, they make monthly payments to the state to cover the credit. It turns out that the state has been investing some money for some period without any rates and it gets back its money. I know that Armenia can’t fully cover my tuition fees, but we at least need to apply this second form of payment that will oblige me to return and work in my homeland,” Grigor said. According to him, hundreds of Turkish students study at the Exton University but they are all completely financed by Turkish President Abdullah Gul. “Gul has graduated from our university and that’s why the Turkish students get special financial assistance from him,” he said, adding that there are no Azeri students studying there.

 

Translated by Anoush Mkrtchyan