Under a government program extended for another year, children of Ukrainian veterans will have their contract-based tuition fully covered by the state for the 2026-27 academic year.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced the extension of the program on Tuesday, Sept. 8, noting that the compensation applies to students at institutions of professional pre-higher and higher education.
To apply, students must submit documents to their educational institutions, after which a certificate becomes available in the Diia app and must be confirmed within 20 calendar days.
The Diia app is a unified digital portal for public services that provides Ukrainian citizens with access to digital documents, such as payrolls, taxes, renewing driver’s licenses and applying for social assistance.
How the payment works
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs will transfer funds directly to the educational institution rather than to eligible students, according to Koretskyi.
Those who have already paid for tuition themselves – either in full or in part – will have those payments reimbursed by their school once the certificate is processed.
Part of broader wartime adjustments
The extension comes as Ukraine works through a broader set of wartime adjustments to both its education system and transport infrastructure.
Schools reopened on Sept. 1, with the government instructing local authorities to adopt new wartime measures, including avoiding mass gatherings and basing decisions on shelter access and evacuation speed.
“Our task is to ensure that, despite the war, children have the opportunity to study safely and receive a quality education,” Koretskyi said on Aug. 31, while reviewing all matters related to the educational process, particularly shelters, meal arrangements and pay increases for education workers.
As Russia shifts its air attack tactics, combining and intensifying drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, Kyiv has introduced a two-tier air raid siren system and updated transport schedules to keep the capital functioning even under repeated alerts.
On Monday, Sept. 7, Koretskyi said he had held an urgent meeting with government and Kyiv city officials over the capital’s ongoing transport collapse, with residents frequently getting stuck in traffic, unable to arrive home from work or reach hospitals.
“The economy must keep working, taxes must keep flowing into the budget, and people must keep receiving their salaries,” Koretskyi said in a separate statement on Sept. 3.
“The goal of all these changes is to protect people while also not allowing enemy attacks to paralyze cities,” he continued.
Local authorities are expected to conduct weekly reviews of the protective measures to adjust the response as attack patterns evolve.