The extra funding will be primarily intended for junior lecturers and for rejuvenating university staff, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Culture and Sport Žiga Turk said in his response, specifying that the funds would benefit about 300 young people who would otherwise remain with no prospect at home.

The extra money for higher education in 2013 and for science in 2014 will also be earmarked for internationalisation and courses of national importance and to avoid introducing tuition fees at universities.

The chancellors of universities in Ljubljana, Maribor and Primorsko also requested an explanation of an instruction ordering a reduction in the number of admissions for humanistic and arts courses.

The ministry explained that both the success of study as well as the situation on the labour market and prospects for jobs should be taken into account in deciding about the number of admissions.

The ministry cited analyses showing only 80% of the available higher education spots were filled as well as a high drop-out rate between first and second years.

In the past seven years, the number of admissions in educational sciences for example was nearly halved, and decreased in the field of technology and services, while the number rose in other courses, which the ministry said did not reflect demand on the labour market.

The total number of available first year admissions at higher education institutions is bigger than the number of students who finish the final year of secondary education. The number of available first year spots is nowhere below the number of students enrolled in second year, which means admissions for those who actually study are not being limited, according to the ministry.

The ministry expects the universities to respect its proposals so that it will be able to submit to the government a proposal that would take into account a realistic picture about the number of students and graduates and their employability, which the ministry believes is primarily in the interest of young people deciding about further study.