A high score on the Unified National Testing (UNT) alone does not guarantee a state educational grant, said Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek in his Telegram channel, as reported by infohub.kz.
According to the minister, grants are distributed on a competitive basis for each field of study. Therefore, what matters most is not just the score, but also the number of grants allocated, the number of applicants, and the overall level of competition.
"An applicant with 120 points may not get a grant for a highly competitive field if the number of applicants significantly exceeds the number of grants. At the same time, an applicant with 100 points may get a grant for a field with less competition," the minister cited as an example.
Nurbek stressed that the threshold score only gives the right to participate in the competition, but does not guarantee admission. The final passing score is determined by the results of the competitive selection.
"A grant is the result of a competition, not just a high score," he concluded.
Earlier it was reported that this year more than 75,000 applicants received state educational grants. The day before, the minister addressed Kazakhstani applicants who did not receive grants, urging them not to despair and to continue striving for their goal.
In addition, Kazakhstan has started accepting applications for grants allocated by local executive bodies (akimats). Universities also provide more than two thousand of their own educational grants, as well as tuition discounts and named scholarships.