State-funded places and grants: Rada changes higher education financing

The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 10399, which establishes educational grants at the legislative level and changes the model of state financing of higher education. 298 MPs voted for the document.

The new model provides that at least half of school graduates will have the opportunity to obtain higher education at the expense of the state. Funding will be provided through traditional state-funded places or state educational grants.

State-funded places are not abolished. The law supplements the current mechanism of state order with other ways of supporting entrants. The bill was developed taking into account the results of a two-year experiment with educational grants, which was in effect until the system was enshrined in legislation.

How educational grants will work

The mechanism is aimed, in particular, at entrants who pass competitive selection for contract form of study. The state will be able to fully or partially pay the cost of such education through a grant.

In the model presented by the Ministry of Education and Science before the second reading of the bill, several types of support are provided. Academic grants should depend on the results of external evaluation, social grants – assigned to representatives of vulnerable categories, and special grants – take into account, in particular, artistic and sporting achievements.

Separate support is also provided for combatants, persons with disabilities due to war, people with special merits to Ukraine and affected participants of the Revolution of Dignity.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science, during the experimental program, the average size of an educational grant was UAH 23.6 thousand. It allowed students to use state support to pay for education in the chosen educational program.

State-funded places remain

State and regional state-funded places will continue to operate for civilian higher education. They, as before, will provide for full payment of education by the state for entrants who passed competitive selection.

At the same time, approaches to forming the state order should more take into account the needs of the labor market. Regions will also be able to finance training of specialists needed by specific communities and regions.

Separately adopted by parliament, the document allows people who already have a higher education diploma to re-obtain higher education at the expense of the budget.

What this means for entrants

A grant is not identical to a state-funded place: it can cover only part of the cost of contract education. Thus, after the full launch of the new model, an entrant will have several options of state support – a state-funded place, an educational grant or other financing mechanisms provided by law.

Before the adoption of No. 10399, educational grants were already used in Ukraine within the framework of an experimental project of the Cabinet of Ministers. Now the parliament has transferred this mechanism to the level of law, creating a permanent legislative basis for its further application.

At the same time, the adoption of the bill by the Verkhovna Rada does not yet mean the entry into force of the law: the document must go through further stages provided by the legislative procedure.

Based on materials: Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine