Quote Originally Posted by Romik View Post
To a few nerds in a particular university, and not always completely covering their study costs.
I think I mentioned earlier it's the pass for those who study well. It seems belarusnews was the one who "entered the University with better grades than the others". If you want to call him a nerd it's your right I guess, but had he studied in a western university he would have gotten a better attention "than the others" depending on his grades. Those, who graduate well and start their masters (which aren't just the typical nerds, but that is more or less what makes the difference between a university degree (институтское образование) and a college degree (образование техникума). Those who start their master's are typically assigned a nominal job (like grading a course homeworks) which usually takes two-three hours a week and completely covers for their tuition fee. Very reasonable, I guess, comparing to a two-year low-paid job. In addition, they might be assigned the TA's job which takes more effort, but pays well. The process is started by taking a student load from a bank on a reasonable terms. The scolarships irregularly contribute something in between. As I said, in the end, once the master's is complete, a good student is left with an ultimately free high education, good grades, and a relatively brighter future. All that with not a minor hint to a communist ideology to say the least. That was my entire point. A free/unpaid/no money/no fee/etc. (whatever term you like the best, it doesn't really change a matter of things).