Georgia’s Minister of Education, Science and Youth, Givi Mikanadze, has outlined details of a planned higher education reform, including a new university funding model and full state financing of studies at public universities for Georgian citizens beginning from the 2026–2027 academic year.
Speaking in Parliament during an interpellation session, Mikanadze said the reform includes a new methodology for university financing developed with the involvement of both local and international experts. Minister says the model was created after studying practices used at leading international institutions, including the University of Washington, University of Michigan, and University of Colorado.
Mikanadze explained that the new system will be based on a two-component funding structure consisting of base funding and performance-based funding. He said base funding would ensure institutional stability and greater financial autonomy for universities, while performance-based funding would gradually be tied to outcomes such as improvements in education quality, research and innovation, internationalization, and regional engagement.
The minister also announced what he described as an unprecedented decision: from the 2026–2027 academic year, higher education at state universities will be fully funded for Georgian citizens. Under the initiative, tuition fees for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at public higher education institutions will be fully covered by the state, while specific financing mechanisms will be determined through government regulations.
Addressing planned university enrollment quotas, Mikanadze said the ministry relied on labor market analysis conducted by Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, which identified a significant mismatch between university graduates and labor market demand.
Minister noted that projections indicate that approximately 14,400 students should enter universities annually based on labor market needs. However, after considering current realities and a five-year transition period, authorities decided to set admission quotas at 21,600 students.
Mikanadze cited law programs as an example of the imbalance between supply and demand, noting that enrollment targets in the field would be reduced, though not to the full extent suggested by labor market estimates.
The minister added that the reform is based on approaches used within the European Higher Education Area and international best practices, emphasizing a model in which the state plays an active role in strategic planning, quality assurance, and aligning higher education with labor market demands, while maintaining national priorities at the center of the process.
