The Foundation for the Defence of Citizens Against State Abuses has obtained a major victory for students in Romania. After 20 years of waiting, the Ministry of Education and Research has finally issued the order establishing the criteria for granting state aid for the construction of private student dormitories. The order expressly establishes that the rent in new private dormitories will not be allowed to exceed the rate in state dormitories by more than 20%.
For over a year, the Ministry of Education and Research has been postponing the enforcement of a final decision obtained by FACIAS, by which the High Court of Cassation and Justice had obliged them to issue this act. The order was signed less than a month after FACIAS requested the Bucharest Court of Appeal to impose a fine on the person at the head of the ministry and to award penalties until the obligation is fulfilled.
After a 20-year institutional deadlock, the order now paves the way for investments that can bring new student accommodation and reduce the rent pressure on young people and their families. Private investors building student dormitories can request a 25% subsidy on loan interest and free connection to utility networks, facilities provided for by Law no. 201/2006 on the support granted to investors for the construction of private student dormitories.
The most important provision of the order is the capping of rent for students, so that the new private dormitories represent an affordable alternative. The monthly fee charged to students in these dormitories cannot exceed by more than 20% the average rate charged by state dormitories in the same university centre. Investors who exceed this cap lose state aid and must return the amounts received, along with the associated penalties.
The order also establishes the conditions that new constructions must meet. Each dormitory will have at least 100 places, a minimum of six square meters of usable space for each student accommodated in the room, high-speed internet connection in each of the premises and full accessibility facilities for people with disabilities. The buildings must include reading rooms with at least one place for every ten students, a self-service industrial laundry and administrative spaces, including laundry, ironing and offices for food preparation on each floor. From an energy point of view, the buildings must comply with the nZEB standard, have nearly zero energy consumption and integrate renewable energy production systems.
To receive state aid, investors must conclude a partnership agreement for at least 20 years with an accredited higher education institution. The agreement must provide for a guaranteed flow of students, and the university's accommodation committee will allocate the places. Investors can build dormitories on their own land, on land provided by partner universities, or on land provided by city halls and county councils.
FACIAS recalls that the lack of affordable accommodation places enormous pressure on students, and the ever-increasing costs of accommodation amplify the risk of university dropout. In the 2024–2025 academic year, 568,608 students were enrolled in Romania, and the dormitories of state universities offered approximately 108,000 places. Compared to the entire student population, this capacity means only one place for more than five students. Data from the Ministry of Education show that, in most university centres, the existing dormitories do not cover even half of the accommodation requests, and many of the students who do not obtain a place have to bear the high costs of rent.
FACIAS will monitor the effective implementation of the order and the manner in which the Ministry of Education and Research implements the state aid scheme so that the first private student dormitories may be built. This victory will be complete when the new accommodation premises become a reality for students.
The Order of the Minister of Education and Research