Kazakhstan's Keleşek program awards 259,500 tenge education capital to five-year-olds

September 12, 2026 at 09:00 AM2 min

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Kazakhstan's Keleşek program provides a one-time start-up education capital of 259,500 tenge to children who turn five in the current year. The capital is credited after parents open a dedicated education savings account or sign an education insurance contract with a participating bank or insurer. Annual minimum contributions of 103,800 tenge are then required until the child turns 18 or enrolls in higher education.

Key Facts

The start-up education capital is 259,500 tenge (60 MCI) for most children and 519,000 tenge (120 MCI) for orphans and children without parental care.
The minimum annual contribution is 103,800 tenge (24 MCI) for most children, 51,900 tenge (12 MCI) for priority categories, and zero for orphans.
The capital is credited only once to a child who turns five in the current calendar year.
Parents must open an education savings account or sign an education insurance contract with a participating bank or insurer to receive the capital.
If the minimum annual contribution is not made by the end of the financial year, the credited capital may be returned to the budget.

Eligibility and Enrollment

A child who is a citizen of Kazakhstan and turns five in the current year is eligible for the start-up education capital. To receive the capital, a parent or legal representative must open an education savings account in the child's name at a participating bank or sign an education insurance contract with a participating insurer. The contract details must be entered into the unified register. If a contract was signed before the capital program existed and lacks provisions on accrual, preservation, use, and return of the capital, an additional agreement with the bank or insurer is required. The capital is credited only once per child.

Contribution Requirements

After the capital is credited, the account must be topped up annually until the child reaches 18 or enrolls in a participating higher education institution or a foreign educational organization. The minimum annual contribution is 103,800 tenge (24 MCI) for most children, 51,900 tenge (12 MCI) for children from priority categories, and zero for orphans and children without parental care. The minimum contribution must be made by the end of the relevant financial year. If the contribution is not made, the credited capital may be returned to the budget in accordance with the law.

State Support Components

State support under the Keleşek program consists of the start-up education capital and an annual state premium. The start-up capital is 259,500 tenge (60 MCI) for children who are not orphans and 519,000 tenge (120 MCI) for orphans and children without parental care. The capital amount depends on the MCI set as of January 1 of the relevant financial year and the child's category.