Jelgava Municipality Supports Students with Transportation, Catering, and Vocational Education in 2025/2026

Strategic Insights -

Jelgava Municipality in Latvia has taken steps to support students in the 2025/2026 academic year, providing assistance with transportation, catering, and vocational education. According to the municipality's news release, 3,711 students began their studies in primary and secondary education programs, with 351 students starting in the first grade. The municipality will provide benefits in public transport, compensate for transportation expenses, and offer catering service fee relief, among other initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Jelgava region municipality will support students with transportation expenses, providing 100% coverage for students who travel from their place of residence to the educational institution and back by transport organized by the municipality.
  • Students who attend an educational institution in another administrative territory and live in the boarding house of the educational institution will have their transportation expenses fully covered on the first day of the week and on the last day of school.
  • Children from poor and low-income families who attend educational institutions in other municipalities will have their transportation paid for at 100%.
  • Students who are not provided with municipal transport to and from the educational institution or who do not have public transport will have their compensation calculated according to an algorithm, with a daily rate of 0.12 euros multiplied by the number of kilometers traveled and visits to the educational institution per month.
  • The Jelgava regional government will provide catering service fee relief in the new school year, with 100% catering fee relief for lunch provided to preschool students, 1st-4th grade students, and students with large family status, disability, and foster family and guardianship status.
  • Other students will be provided with co-financing for lunch, while students from poor or low-income households will receive free lunch benefits in accordance with current binding municipal regulations.
  • Families that have been granted foster or guardianship status will receive full meal fee relief, even if the child is not declared in the administrative territory of Jelgava region.
  • The municipality will provide support for vocational education, with parental co-financing for music or art programs and sports programs, and an extensive system of benefits for children from various social groups.

Statistics:

  • 3,711 students began their studies in primary and secondary education programs in the 2025/2026 academic year.
  • 351 students started in the first grade.
  • 100% of transportation expenses will be covered for students who travel from their place of residence to the educational institution and back by transport organized by the municipality.
  • 50 euros per month will be the maximum amount of compensation for transportation expenses per family.

Sources:

  • Jelgava Municipality news release, dated September 1, 2025.
  • Binding regulations "On catering fee relief for students in educational institutions established by the Jelgava regional government".
  • Binding regulations "On the application of municipal co-financing in vocational education".
  • Binding regulations "On voluntary initiative benefits of Jelgava region municipality".