Ministry of Science and Higher Education Considers Increasing Fines for "Bolashak" Program Violations

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan is evaluating a proposal to significantly increase the financial penalties for "Bolashak" international scholarship recipients who breach their contractual obligations. This initiative marks a stricter approach toward ensuring accountability for the use of state funds.

The proposal, originally introduced by Mazhilis Member Magerram Magerramov, suggests that scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill program requirements should be legally obligated to return an amount exceeding the state's initial investment. Minister Sayasat Nurbek has formally acknowledged the proposal, describing it as a "expedient" step toward refining financial responsibility mechanisms.

Data indicates a substantial number of program violations in recent years:

• Since 2013, approximately 14.5 billion tenge has been reimbursed to the state budget by program participants.

• In the first quarter of 2026 alone, repayments amounted to 378.5 million tenge.

Minister Nurbek noted that while the penalty (forfeit) was historically set at 25% of the total actual expenses incurred, it was reduced to 10% in 2010. The Ministry now intends to revisit these terms. If the new measures are implemented, violators will be required to pay the full cost of their education plus a significantly higher surcharge, aimed at discouraging breaches of contract.

"The current legal framework provides functioning tools for the recovery of budget funds. However, the proposal to increase the amount of the forfeit is considered appropriate from the perspective of further improving financial accountability mechanisms," the Minister stated in his official response.

The implementation of this policy currently requires a comprehensive analysis involving relevant government agencies and stakeholder organizations to ensure a robust legal and financial framework.