Draft bill #10399 of January 10, 2024 

Sponsors: the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine 

Status: sent for review to the Committee on Education, Science, and Innovations 

Who is affected: students, higher education establishments, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the State Employment Service, oblast state administrations, and state administrations of Kyiv and Sevastopol 

Summary: 

Funding of higher education 

  • for students, there will be two ways to get higher education, both competitive: 
    • free education under a state-funded or oblast-funded placement 
    • paid education funded by private individuals or legal entities. 
  • it will be possible to get paid education funded by private individuals or legal entities in the following ways: 
    • receiving a state grant for full or partial coverage of tuition costs 
    • applying for a long-term loan at a concessionary rate (3% APR) 
    • using vouchers issued under the law on employment of the population 
    • receiving a grant from the Presidential Fund of Ukraine for support of education, science, and sports. 
  • higher education establishments will have to publish admission requirements by October 15 of the year preceding the year of admission 
  • competitive selection of applicants will be based on a competitive score, which will be calculated based on the results of the External independent evaluation, creative or physical abilities competitions, as well as entrance exams on subjects not covered by the External independent evaluation. 

Special admission rules for privileged categories 

  • special admission rules will apply to: 
    • persons with war-related disabilities or disabilities of group I 
    • persons who have the right to enroll in state universities without exams (interview-based admission) under the law on the protection of victims of the Chornobyl disaster 
    • persons who are registered in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine or moved from there during the admission year 
    • children of deceased participants of the Revolution of Dignity and combat veterans, including those who got their status for fighting in foreign countries 
    • persons injured during the Revolution of Dignity and combat veterans.
  • special admission rules for privileged categories will include: 
    • admission to a university under a state-funded or oblast-funded placement if the applicant got positive results of entrance exams or under the professional quota (medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary specialties) 
    • individuals from privileged categories who participated in the competition for state-funded or oblast-funded spots but managed to get a score sufficient only for paid spots will be transferred to vacant subsidized spots if available 
    • individuals from privileged categories will have the guaranteed right to receive a state grant to obtain higher education in the amount defined by the Cabinet of Ministers 
    • individuals from privileged categories will have the guaranteed right to receive a concessionary long-term credit for the full tuition fee or the difference between the fee and the state grant for education. 
  • state assistance for obtaining higher education will be provided in the form of: 
    • full tuition payment by the government or local budgets 
    • full or partial tuition payment by state grants or concessionary credits 
    • social scholarships (if necessary due to the family’s inability to pay) 
    • free textbooks 
    • free access to the internet and databases in state and municipal educational establishments and research institutions 
    • full or partial exemption from payment for dormitory accommodation. 

State-funded and oblast-funded placements 

  • education will be free under state-funded and oblast-funded placements 
  • the number of state-funded spots will be defined by the Ministry of Education and Science 
  • the distribution of state-funded spots among universities will be based on a broad competition. State-funded spots for the needs of the Armed Forces, the Security Service, and law enforcement agencies will be distributed by the corresponding authorities without competition 
  • the amount of funding for the state-funded placement will be distributed among educational establishments and research institutions based on a formula approved by the Cabinet of Ministers 
  • the oblast-funded placement will be defined by the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, oblast state administrations, and Kyiv and Sevastopol city state administrations 
  • the State Employment Service will have the power to appoint graduates studying under state-funded or oblast-funded placements for employment 
  • graduates of medical, artistic, and pedagogical specialties, as well as those who have signed an employment agreement for a period of not less than three years in rural areas, will be provided with free housing, including public utilities. 
  • employment of graduates who are obtaining or have got higher education under state-funded or oblast-funded placements will be done through: 
    • students’ registration in territorial offices of the State Employment Service as job seekers 
    • conclusion of an employment agreement with the student by the employer and/or the territorial office of the State Employment Service 
    • providing students with job offers from employers and sending students for employment by territorial offices of the State Employment Service 
    • conclusion of employment contracts with graduates who have obtained higher education. 
  • the signing of an employment contract by the graduate in case of receiving a job offer from an employer will be a mandatory requirement of his or her contract for studying under state-funded or oblast-funded placement 
  • an employment contract with the student will have to be signed after he or she completes half of the study period, but no later than six months before the end of this period. The contract will be signed for a period not less than three years after graduation 
  • if there are no relevant offers from an employer and/or the territorial office of the State Employment Service within the specified period, the student will have no obligation to sign an employment contract. 

What is right:  

  • the state will provide financial assistance to the most capable students 
  • the concept of state-funded education will become more modern 
  • higher education will be better suited for the labor market.