Social support for vulnerable categories of students in a higher education institution as a subject of scientific research

The article describes the phenomenon of social support as a key category of sociology and pedagogy, encompassing a set of measures aimed at ensuring a decent standard of living, social adaptation and personal development in the face of social challenges. Social support for vulnerable categories of the population plays a stabilizing function, compensating for the negative consequences of economic, social, political and individual crisis situations. It is outlined that the main principle of social support is to provide assistance to those who find themselves in adverse life circumstances and cannot overcome difficulties on their own, closely intertwined with ensuring social justice and the implementation of human rights. It describes information that historically archaic ideas about social support were based on moral norms and religious beliefs that regulated the obligations of community members. Mutual aid was entrenched in traditions and sacred ideas about the duty of caring for one's neighbor. The emergence of such forms of support is explained both by biological survival instincts and socio-economic processes of the formation of social structures. Religion, in particular Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, significantly strengthened the position of social support, consolidating the principles of mercy and charity. The church took on the role of a regulator of social stability, trying to mitigate contradictions, although it did not seek to eliminate social inequality, instead stimulating the giving of alms. The author emphasizes that the modern understanding of vulnerability, in particular among students, is multifactorial and requires an integrated approach. The theory of social stratification emphasizes the importance of social resources, the concept of social capital indicates the role of social ties, and the theory of ecological systems emphasizes the influence of macro- and microfactors. Critical pedagogy focuses on the need to reform educational systems to ensure equal opportunities. It has been determined that the vulnerability of students is determined not only by individual characteristics, but also by socio-economic conditions and educational environments. Therefore, changes in educational policies aimed at reducing social barriers and ensuring equal opportunities are necessary to reduce this vulnerability. Further scientific research should focus on studying the social, economic and cultural barriers that prevent equal access to education, and developing new methods to overcome them and support students in their educational journey.