Funding
Kindergartens and preparatory groups at schools provide pre-primary education in Bulgaria. Almost all kindergartens and these schools are municipal and they are funded by the municipal budgets. Their annual budget is individual - formed on the basis of the uniform standard and the number of the enrolled children.
The Primary and Basic Schools are mainly municipal – approximately 90%. They are funded individually by uniform standard on the basis of the number of the learners enrolled in the school. The amount of the standard differs in groups depending on the specification of the territorial location of the school and the existing profiles (music, art, choreography, etc.).
The Sport schools are funded also by the number of the enrolled learners but their uniform standard is appointed differently.
The schools providing General education are mainly municipal – 90%. They are also funded by the municipal budgets individually by uniform standard on the basis of the number of the learners enrolled in the school. The amount of the standard differs according to the specification of the location of the school, the existing profiles (music, art, choreography, etc.), forms of education (day, evening, extramural, correspondence, individual, independent, distant), existing dormitories, etc.
The Art and Culture schools are funded by specially formed for them uniform standards. The schools for learners with special needs are funded by standards according to the special needs, health care services and hostel accommodation.
The Vocational schools are mainly state-owned – approximately 90%. They are funded by the state budget through the MEYS. Their budgets are individual according to the amount of the standard and the number of the enrolled learners. The form of education is daily and the amount of the standard differs generally according to the vocational area (transport, agriculture and livestock breeding, forestry, reserve, fish industry, veterinary medicine, architecture, ICT, administration, social services, etc.)
Central and protected schools are funded additionally by the state budget.
All schools can be funded on a competitive principle additionally by the state budget under the National programmes for development of school education.
Financial Autonomy and Control
The financial autonomy is given to the schools by the financial decentralization and the so-called “delegated budgets”. The financial decentralization transfers rights and obligations that are related to the constitution and execution of a budget (delegated budgets). Schools have more operational rights in relation to budget constitution and expenditures, and execute their own impendented policies.
The control over the educational process, budget spending, as well as the outcoming result is carried out by the respective educational authorities at central and regional level. The Minister of Education, Youth and Science (MEYS) exerts control over the spending of the resources for working salaries, maintenance, etc. This control is executed by the experts of the MEYS, municipalities and the Regional inspectorates of education (situated in each of the 28 regions on the Bulgarian territory), to which are delegated such authorities.
The municipalities provide and control the resources for the maintenance, the construction, the furnishing and the major repair of the schools and kindergartens; the health servicing and the security of the kindergartens and schools; the resources for implementing the state education requirements, as well as the financial provision of all sections of the curriculum for the municipal kindergartens and schools; conditions for canteen catering, dormitories, recreation, sport basis and transport of the children, the learners and the teachers, as well as a free transport and full-day organization of the studies and canteen boarding; scholarships and special supports for learners.
Fees within Public Education
In kindergartens there is a fixed monthly fee. In municipal and public kindergartens the monthly fee is lower in amount than in the private ones.
Education throughout all school levels is free
Financial Support for Learners' Families
Since during their school education, students are still financially dependent on their parents/legal guardians, supporting measures for them and their families are not separately defined (see below).
Starting from 2012/2013 academic year, families with children in the 1st grade will receive a one-time financial help in the ammount of 150 leva, provided the avarage monthly income per family member for the previous year is 350 leva or less.
Financial Support for Learners
There are few types of financial support offered to learners. This support is given to the learners in the state and in the municipal schools after the completion of VIII grade as scholarships /grants for:
- learners with special educational needs and learners without parents or with one parent;
- learners with monthly income per family member under the official minimum salary rate and marks at school higher than very good 4.50;
- learners with results during the last school term not lower than excellent 5.50 (the highest mark is excellent 6.00);
When the learner covers more than one or all of the above mentioned criteria, he/she has to choose only one of the grant options.
There are also scholarships and grants for talented learners:
- One year scholarships for talented learners, placed on 1st , 2nd or 3rd place on national or international Olympiads and competitions;
- Single grant with amount threefold the guaranteed minimum monthly salary for the country for talented learners, placed on 1st , 2nd or 3rd place on national or international Olympiads and competitions;
Social benefits (accommodation, meals, transport)
Some school have dormitories. The state budget covers the expenditures concerning the hostels and the learners there pay a minimum fee.
In most of the schools there are canteens. The state budget through the municipalities covers part of the amount concerning these expenditures and the learners pay the rest by buying a coupon. Through the National programmes for development of school education additional budget resources are given for breakfast or lunch in schools for the learners from I to IV grades.
The municipalities provide to learners up to 16 years of age, in a populated area where there is no appropriate school, a free transport and/or boarding-school education in a central school in the closest populated area on the territory of the municipality or of a neighbouring municipality. The learners have the option to travel by railway transport at reduced rates.
Students from grades I to VII are also entitled to free textbooks.
Private Education
Private kindergartens and schools have their autonomy to spend their own budget according to their own policy, but they respect the same national regulations as the public and municipal ones concerning the state education requirements and the organization of the learning process. They use private properties or properties, conceded to them, which are of private, state or municipal ownership.
The private schools on a competitive principal may apply by project for state funding under the various National programmes for development of school education.
The learners up to VII grade in the private schools receive free school books as those in the public and municipal schools.