From September 2024, a grant system for paying for education will appear in Ukraine. The bill is already in the Verkhovna Rada

A grant system for payment of tuition in higher education institutions may soon be operational in Ukraine. If the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament) quickly adopts the relevant draft law, the new financing system will be operational from September 2024.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine explains how the grant system will work.

Number of budget seats

The draft law does not specify a specific number of budget seats. The volume of the state order will be established annually by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine in accordance with the needs of the state. The volume of state procurement will be able to be predicted in advance, as soon as the new financing mechanism is fully operational.

The state procurement will cover all or almost all specialties, depending on the needs in different specialties, a different number of places will be offered. The list of these specialties can change, as well as the needs of the state.

How the amount of the grant depends on the location of the university

The new financing system does not provide for a system of regional coefficients, as this would violate the principle of non-discrimination. The amount of the state grant for education will depend on the results of the external examination/NMT and the specialty chosen by the entrant.

Entrants will have the opportunity to use a certain amount and direct the funds to the university of their choice. Since any institutions of higher education have a limit on the number of students, the competitive score of entrants will be taken into account during selection.

Grants will also be available to those who have not previously completed their studies at the expense of the state or regional order, provided that they reimburse the funds for the period of study under the state order. Then they will have the right to receive grant funding from the state.

When a grant can be taken away from a student

If a student is expelled, he/she will lose a source of funding. However, in case of deduction, it is not necessary to return the used funds.

The grant will be issued for four years. The amount will be indexed to inflation, that is, in case of an increase in the cost of education, the amount of the grant will also increase.

Soft loans to pay for the grant

If the entrant received a grant with partial coverage, and the family does not have money for co-financing, then the entrants can take advantage of soft loans (with minimal interest) through state banks. Benefits for entrants from vulnerable categories remain valid.

Also, the entrant can choose to obtain a higher education under the state order. The state will guarantee the first job to such entrants. If the cost of studying for the desired specialty at the chosen university corresponds to the amount of the grant, the study will also be free of charge.

Some entrants will be provided with the first job

Students who will study under the state order will be offered to sign a contract that guarantees the provision of the first workplace (one or more places to choose from). At the same time, if the student does not want to work there, he can refuse and continue his studies on a contract basis. It is not necessary to return funds for previous years of study in the case of switching to a contract.

Students who will study with state grants or their own funds will not have obligations regarding internships.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine emphasizes that an effective education system involves the dynamic development of strong specialists and economic well-being. That is why such changes in education are "just in time" — they will allow budget funds to be used more efficiently and fairly.

• In 2023, about 267 000 students entered the bachelorʼs program, of which 67 000 were on the budget. In 2022, 226 thousand became undergraduate students.