EU provided 1.473.500 euros through Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA 2009) for realization of two-year project ''Higher education financing reform in BiH''.

As project team manager Trevear Penrose said, this project is trying to improve higher education in BiH, since financing of higher education in BiH is below European and regional level and small number of criteria used for higher education financing is noticeable as well.

"Therefore, the aim of this project is to gather all parties to talk and find best solutions, but not those that would be imposed but those that be suit different factors such as ministries of education and finance'', Penrose emphasized.

Legal expert in the project Gordana Osmancevic emphasized that money is not intended to finance higher education facilities but funds are supposed to support educational authority in BiH to implement reforms in higher education concerning financing of public universities.

"BiH accepted Bologna system and for it to implement properly and for public universities to accredit and degrees to be recognized, it is necessary to improve financing system, being there are not enough funds to make further quality system'', Osmancevic added.

On behalf of EU Delegation in BiH Natalia Dianiskova said that there is a question if BiH needs such reform in a situation when structures in higher education are fighting to give salaries to their employees and teach students with old equipment.

"On the other hand, we demand better results in education because BiH is on the way of implementing Bologna process which is demanding and that cannot be done without improving financing of higher education'', Dianiskova added.