A small fraction of parents endorse the idea of footing the bill for their children's advanced academic pursuits, with just nine percent voicing their approval.
In a recent survey involving 1250 parents whose children attend grades 5-11 in schools across various Russian regions, some interesting insights have emerged regarding parental funding for higher education.
The survey revealed that around 40% of the parents hope their children will secure a spot on a government-funded program in college. However, if their child fails to secure such a spot, over half (62%) of those expecting such funding would still pay for their child's education. If the child fails to secure a spot in university, 40% would consider vocational school as an alternative.
The survey also found that among parents of future applicants to regional universities, 33% are considering educational loans. In Moscow universities, 17% of parents planning commercial education are open to finding part-time work.
Interestingly, only 13% of the surveyed parents are prepared to pay for their child's vocational school education, and 9% for university education. For universities in St. Petersburg, 44% of parents plan to spend between 250,000 and 500,000 rubles annually, while 67% expect to spend between 100,000 and 200,000 rubles. For less prestigious regional universities, 71% are willing to spend no more than 200,000 rubles, with 29% willing to spend between 200,000 and 400,000 rubles. For regional colleges, 41% of parents expect to spend between 50,000 and 100,000 rubles, and 34% expect to spend 50,000 rubles or less.
The survey also asked respondents who were willing to pay for their child's education about the acceptable annual tuition cost. Half (50%) of parents expecting their children to receive commercial education in Moscow universities plan to spend between 250,000 and 500,000 rubles annually. Among those targeting commercial education in Moscow universities, half plan to spend up to 100,000 rubles, and 50% of parents planning commercial education expect to spend between 100,000 and 200,000 rubles annually. For universities in St. Petersburg, half plan to spend up to 100,000 rubles.
In some cases, parents have alternative plans for their children if they fail to secure a spot in college or university. If their child fails to secure a spot in college, 13% would have them repeat the 10th grade, and 7% would enroll them in courses to obtain a profession. If their child fails to secure a spot in university and the parents are willing to pay, 13% would have the graduate find work independently, and 5% would suggest going to the army.
These findings suggest that while there is a strong expectation among Russian families for their children to obtain higher education degrees, concrete data on the percentage willing to fund this privately, the extent of their funding, and annual spending expectations by city are not detailed in these search results. The strong government support for university places may influence parental funding decisions but exact figures are not provided.
If you require precise statistics on parental funding willingness and spending on commercial education in Russia’s cities, additional specific surveys or studies from educational or market research bodies would be necessary.
Despite the strong government support for university places, a significant number (62%) of parents willing to fund their child's education would still pay for personal-finance lessons or educational-and-self-development resources if their child fails to secure a spot on a government-funded program. In addition, when considering alternative education paths for their children, 33% of parents are open to securing educational loans, showcasing a willingness to invest in their child's learning.
