1. Purpose<\/p>\n
The University of Thessaly (UTh) recognizes its global responsibility to advance educational equity and to strengthen international solidarity through higher education.<\/p>\n
This policy establishes the institutional framework for providing academic, financial, and social support to students originating from low or lower-middle income countries, as defined by the World Bank classification, in accordance with Law 4781\/2021, Article 234 and the University\u2019s mission of global inclusion, ensuring that these students have access to high-quality education and essential resources to succeed.<\/p>\n
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that financial circumstances or national economic disparities do not prevent qualified students from pursuing higher education at the University of Thessaly. UTh effectively offers free education to eligible students, covering also food and other necessities, free books, full dormitory coverage, medical services, as well as <\/strong>transportation allowances. In addition, when necessary, students benefit from psychosocial support, academic advising and mentoring services.<\/strong> This comprehensive policy is designed to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds can focus on their academic and professional development without financial barriers.<\/p>\n 2. Principles<\/p>\n Global Equity in Access: The University promotes inclusive education opportunities for students from countries with limited resources.<\/p>\n Transparency and Merit: Selection for support is based on both financial need and academic merit.<\/p>\n International Solidarity: Education is a tool for mutual understanding, sustainable development, and peace.<\/p>\n Respect and Dignity: All recipients are treated with equal academic status and full participation in university life.<\/p>\n Accountability: All funding and program outcomes are reported transparently and in compliance with Greek and EU regulations.<\/p>\n 3. Legal Framework<\/p>\n This policy operates under the provisions of Law 4781\/2021 (Article 234), which authorizes Greek universities to:<\/p>\n \u201cGrant scholarships, exemptions, or other forms of assistance to students from developing, low-income, or lower-middle income countries, particularly within international cooperation and educational exchange frameworks.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Implementation and Support Schemes<\/p>\n The University of Thessaly implements a range of programs to support students from low and lower-middle income countries, including:<\/p>\n Tuition and Fee Waivers<\/strong>: Partial or full exemptions from tuition fees for eligible students.<\/p>\n Scholarships and Grants<\/strong>: Merit- and need-based scholarships funded by the University, government programs, or international partnerships.<\/p>\n Living Support<\/strong>: Housing assistance, free or subsidized meals, and transportation benefits.<\/p>\n Language and Academic Preparation<\/strong>: Free Greek or English language courses and academic orientation sessions to ensure academic readiness and integration.<\/p>\n Healthcare Access<\/strong>: Inclusion in university healthcare services at no cost.<\/p>\n Emergency Aid<\/strong>: Special funds to assist students facing unexpected financial difficulties (e.g., currency crises, political instability, or natural disasters in their home countries).<\/p>\n 5. Administration and Responsibilities<\/p>\n The Vice-Rector for International and Academic Affairs oversees policy implementation and coordination with national and international partners.<\/p>\n The International Relations Office manages applications, documentation, and coordination with external funding bodies.<\/p>\n The Student Welfare Office ensures that supported students receive equal access to housing, meals, and healthcare.<\/p>\n The Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) monitors the academic performance, retention, and graduation rates of supported international students and includes these data in the University\u2019s annual Sustainability and Internationalization Reports.<\/p>\n 6. Monitoring and Evaluation<\/p>\n The University maintains a detailed record of all scholarships and support provided under this policy, disaggregated by country of origin, gender, and field of study.<\/p>\n Progress and outcomes are evaluated annually and reported to the Senate and the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.<\/p>\n Indicators include participation rates, completion rates, and post-graduation engagement in sustainable development or academic collaboration.<\/p>\n 7. Review<\/p>\n This policy is reviewed every three (3) years by the Internationalization and Inclusion Committee, in cooperation with the MODIP, or whenever changes in national or international frameworks occur.<\/p>\n 8. References<\/p>\n Law 4781\/2021, Article 234 \u2013 Scholarships and Support for Students from Developing Countries<\/p>\n Law 4957\/2022, Article 86 \u2013 Student Social Support<\/p>\n UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (2019)<\/p>\n European Standards and Guidelines (ESG 2015), Standards 1.4 and 1.6<\/p>\n UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 and SDG 10) \u2013 Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries Student Support Policy 1. Purpose The University of Thessaly (UTh) recognizes its global responsibility to advance educational equity and to strengthen international solidarity through higher education. This policy establishes the institutional framework for providing academic, financial, and social support to students originating from low or lower-middle income countries, as defined […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-622","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1481,"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/622\/revisions\/1481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdg.uth.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}