Education unions hope that the Eurozone will guarantee wage increases in the sector. In the dialogue that has begun with the Ministry of Education, the higher education union at the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions and Employers says that there are questions for clarification for 2026, informs the Bulgarian National Radio.
Liliana Valcheva from the higher education union at the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions and Employers explained at a recent meeting that incomes in the sector in our country are at the level of Spain.
With an average salary of 2413 in our country, only a few higher education schools are below this level. Looking at the future budget, Lilyana Valcheva speaks about the concerns of universities.
"We understand that there is a 2,000 reduction in the number of students for the next academic year. The budget is also based on this amount. If we now have 139,500 students in the budget, does that mean that for next year we expect 137,000? The minimum wage is increasing! There is no way that fees can decrease, given that everything in the country is going upwards. The dialogue is very tense".
Statistics of universities currently show that Plovdiv and Sofia universities are the best paid among humanitarian and law specialties. TU in Sofia is the leader in salaries for technical specialties. Thracian University - in salaries in agricultural sciences. Medical universities in Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv are at the forefront of salaries in medical universities. The Music Academy is a leader for universities of the arts.
At first reading, in mid-July, the National Assembly adjusted the amount of the tuition fee and thus suppressed the student protests that began after the price increase of higher education. In general, however, in the dialogue on salaries, the Ministry of Education and Science recalled the need for a delicate policy for universities when forming prices. Minister Krasimir Valchev recommended that universities raise fees every year, but by a small amount, and not infrequently and in leaps: