Old Town Municipality Secures 200,000 KM for Scholarships for Children of Combatant Population

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The Old Town Municipality has allocated 200,000 KM this year for scholarships for children of martyrs, fallen combatants, disabled war veterans, and demobilized combatants for the 2018/2019 school year. The competition for scholarships for pupils and students was announced by the Old Town Municipality's Service for Combatant-Invalid and Social Protection, and 319 candidates applied. After the procedure was completed, 220 scholarships were awarded, 104 for high school students and 116 for university students.

Today, contracts with the pupils and students were signed by the Mayor of the Old Town Municipality, Ibrahim Hadžibajrić. With sincere congratulations to the scholarship recipients, Mayor Hadžibajrić emphasized that this is one way to support knowledge and education.

"Here, this year again, we are awarding scholarships to high school and university students from the combatant population, and we have allocated over 200,000 KM for these purposes. In the past ten years that I have been heading the Municipality, we have allocated over two million convertible marks for scholarships," said Hadžibajrić. He explained that in addition to scholarships for children of the combatant population, scholarships are also awarded to gifted pupils and students and those studying old traditional crafts.

Adna Hodžić is a nineteen-year-old student at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences in Sarajevo and is one of the 116 students who received scholarships today.

"The scholarship means a lot to me for my studies, primarily because I am in my first year and I have had many expenses," said Adna.

"Support in the form of a scholarship means a lot to me, for my education, for pocket money... This is the first time I have received it, and I am truly happy about it," stated Emir Čelik, a second-year student at the Secondary School of Electrical Engineering for Energy in Sarajevo, adding that he intends to enroll in the Faculty of Criminal Justice.

The signing of the contracts was also attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Municipal Council of Stari Grad, Sanel Dragolovčanin, and the Assistant Mayor for Combatant-Invalid and Social Protection of the Municipality, Safija Šehović, who explained the procedure of the competition.

Children of demobilized combatants, disabled war veterans, and martyrs' or fallen combatants' families, who are regularly attending high schools and faculties in Sarajevo Canton and reside in the Old Town, could apply for the competition for scholarships for the 2018/2019 school year. Scholarship recipients will receive funds for the nine-month period, September - December 2018 and February - June 2019.