Over €3 Million Housing Support For University of Crete Students

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More than 1,600 students at the University of Crete will receive housing support payments totalling €3.358 million, following a decision by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports as part of Greece’s National Student Housing Strategy 2026-2035.

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki approved the funding allocation to support eligible students enrolled at the University of Crete during the 2025-2026 academic year. The payments will provide immediate financial assistance to students studying at the university’s campuses in Rethymno and Heraklion.

The funding comes from the ministry’s regular budget for the 2026 financial year, with €2.353 million allocated to schools based in Rethymno and €1.005 million directed towards schools in Heraklion.

Eligible students will receive a housing allowance of €2,000, while students who share accommodation will receive an increased payment of €2,500.

Announcing the decision, Sofia Zacharaki said student housing represents a key issue of equality and access to higher education.

“Student housing is not a secondary infrastructure issue. It is a policy of equality, a prerequisite for meaningful access to higher education and a critical part of a new social contract with the younger generation,” the minister said.

She added that the government’s €3.358 million allocation would directly support more than 1,600 University of Crete students and their families, while acknowledging that housing allowances alone cannot resolve the wider affordability challenge.

The minister said the government is also working on broader measures, including upgrading existing student residences, reopening unused accommodation capacity, creating approximately 8,600 new student beds through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), using university-owned property and establishing a unified digital housing management system.

“Our goal is clear: no young person should lose the opportunity to study because of housing costs,” Zacharaki said.

Greece’s National Student Housing Strategy

Greece currently has 12,116 public student accommodation places, of which around 9,269 remain operational, serving more than 351,000 active university students.

Public student housing coverage currently stands at approximately 3-4%, significantly below the European average of 15-18%.

The National Student Housing Strategy aims to address the long-standing shortage by combining increased housing allowances with the renovation, energy upgrading and reopening of existing student residences.

The plan also includes the creation of approximately 600 new student beds through Public-Private Partnerships, with a total investment of €737.5 million.

In addition, the government plans to renovate and improve the energy efficiency of 17 student residence buildings through the Social Climate Fund, with a projected budget of around €224 million.

The strategy also includes using university-owned property, purchasing and renovating suitable buildings, introducing social housing schemes and developing a national digital platform for applications, transparent eligibility scoring, student bed management and real-time monitoring of housing needs.

New Intervention at the “Evangelismos” Building

Alongside €6 million in funding for maintenance and repair projects at University of Crete facilities, the Ministry of Education has launched a new €5.98 million funding call through the Ministry’s 2026-2030 Development Programme.

The project focuses on the “Restoration, Stabilisation and Change of Use of the Evangelismos Building in Heraklion, Crete, belonging to the University of Crete.”

The initiative will pave the way for the restoration and reopening of the historic listed building in central Heraklion, giving it a new role that will benefit both the university community and the wider city.

The project represents a joint initiative by Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki and University of Crete Rector Professor Georgios Kontakis.

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