The Politehnica University of Timisoara (UPT) has attracted funding of over three million euros for two major projects, out of the six won by the four Timisoara-based universities, within the national programme „The First Student in the Family”, initiated by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Investments and European Projects.

The deputy rector of UPT, Alina Dumitrel, stated on Tuesday that the call for projects under the „The First Student in the Family” programme aims to support young people from families with a low educational level in accessing higher education, preventing university dropouts and facilitating the access of students with disabilities to education.

More than 600 young people will be supported to access higher technical education and develop harmoniously, being the first in their families to attend university courses.

The projects „Education without Barriers: University, Progress, Transformation (Edu-UPT)” and „Support mechanisms for equitable access to technical higher education in Timisoara (ACCES-UPT)” will benefit from financing from the European Social Fund+, with the aim of increasing access to education for students from families with a low educational level, a press release from the UPT shows on Tuesday.

The Edu-UPT project, with a budget of over 7.5 million RON, aims to promote equal access to education for disadvantaged groups, such as people with special educational needs (SEN), graduates from rural areas and other underrepresented groups.

The ACCES-UPT project, with a budget of approximately 7.8 million RON, focuses on the implementation of support mechanisms that facilitate fair access to higher technical education for students from Timisoara, especially for those who are the first family members to follow university studies. Initiatives include academic support, mentoring and counseling programmes, as well as the modernisation of educational infrastructure to ensure an inclusive and accessible environment for all.

These projects are part of a wider initiative to support university education in Romania, the „First Student in the Family” programme being one of the strategic instruments that ensure equitable access to education for students from vulnerable backgrounds.

AGERPRES