Slavonski Brod University Seeks 6 Million Euros for New Student Dormitory Amid Rising Costs

The University of Slavonski Brod is embarking on its most significant investment cycle with plans for a new student dormitory, aiming to enhance student living standards and boost the city's appeal for higher education. The project, a priority for the university's 2021-2027 development strategy, has secured European funding but faces a financial shortfall of approximately six million euros.

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In the development strategy for the period 2021-2027, we set this project as one of our most important goals.

University Rector Ivan Samardžić highlighted that the project has been in development for three years, with completed design documentation and a building permit. The university is nearing the end of its public procurement process, with contractor selection and contract signing to follow the tender's conclusion on July 21. However, securing the remaining funds is a prerequisite for commencing construction.

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If everything goes according to plan, the tender ends on July 21, after which the contractor will be selected and the contract signed. But before that, we must close the financial structure.

The estimated project cost is 14.37 million euros, with 8.475 million euros allocated from the European Regional Development Fund. The new facility will accommodate 183 students through the reconstruction and expansion of an existing dormitory, creating a unified complex. Construction is slated for completion by August 31, 2028, though rising labor and material costs may extend this timeline and increase the final expense.

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Today, it is very difficult to predict final costs. Labor and construction material prices are rising, so we estimate that we currently lack about six million euros.

While construction is underway, approximately one hundred students will require alternative housing. The Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth will provide subsidies of around 150 to 160 euros per month for private accommodation, though finding sufficient rooms may prove challenging. Samardžić emphasized the dormitory's broader significance for Slavonia, anticipating it will attract more students, help curb youth emigration, and contribute to demographic renewal. Support for the project has also been pledged by the Brod-Posavina County.

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This is a project of significance for the entire Slavonia. Larger accommodation capacities will help attract students, mitigate youth emigration, and contribute to demographic renewal.