Higher education institutions are overcrowded with privileged people: the Ministry of Education and Science plans to update the admission campaign

The system of admission to higher educational institutions in Ukraine is experiencing significant strain due to the increase in the number of applicants eligible for benefits during the admission campaign. In 2026, the Ministry of Education and Science plans to introduce new approaches to beneficiary selection to simplify the process, increase transparency, and improve effectiveness. This information was announced by Oleg Sharov, Director General of the Directorate of Higher Education and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education and Science.

According to him, the number of applicants in preferential categories is increasing each year. However, only about one-third of them actually use the quota systems for admission. In 2025, almost 30 thousand candidates for special conditions of admission or transfer to the budget were registered, of whom more than 22,500 received state funding both during admission and during transfer from contract to budget education.

The Ministry of Education recognizes that the existing system needs improvement. The main problems are the overload on the competition commissions and the need to balance beneficiaries and applicants on general grounds. Therefore, in 2026, new regulations are planned to introduce competition stream separation. In particular, applicants who enter based on the results of the National Multi-Subject Test or an external independent assessment will compete separately. At the same time, those who pass exams at educational institutions will participate in another stream.

The details and rules of distribution are still under discussion, and the Ministry has promised to publish the regulations in the near future. The main goal of these changes is to create a transparent and fair selection system for all categories of applicants, reduce the administrative burden on the commissions, and preserve opportunities for beneficiaries to receive state funding.