The government plans to change the approaches to financing higher education, which provide that in the future students will be able to study at the expense of government orders, grants, preferential loans and contract training, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said.

"This year we also plan to launch a large-scale reform of higher education. First of all, we are talking about changing funding approaches. Now in the higher education system there is education financed by government and under a contract. We propose to change this approach in order to cover as many students as possible with government support," Shmyhal said at a meeting of the Ukrainian government on Friday.

"Today we are adopting a bill that provides that in the future students will be able to study at the expense of government orders, grants, preferential loans, as well as on a contract form of education," the Prime Minister said.

He said the government order is a completely free student education for budget funds, and this opportunity will be provided to the best applicants according to the competitive score. In addition, part of the budget places will be provided to vulnerable categories of the population. The head of the Ukrainian government said the government order will primarily concern specialties that are needed by the state.

"For example, society needs teachers and doctors. Therefore, the government will fully pay for the education of the best applicants in these specialties. And after successful graduation, it will offer the first job," Shmyhal said.

According to him, the model of government grants will fully or partially cover the costs of a student's education. Such grants will not have to be repaid and do not include any work obligations.

Shmyhal said the size of the grant will be influenced by two criteria: the results of external knowledge assessment and the chosen specialty.

"Although the grant amount will not necessarily cover the full cost of training, the number of applicants who will receive financial support will increase significantly due to a more equitable distribution of such support," the minister said.

Today, 60% of students in Ukraine study on a contract basis, the government's goal is that these students "receive various types of government support: government orders, grants, vouchers or, in the future, preferential loans."

Shmyhal said the new financing system in higher education will apply only to new applicants.

"Among the innovations that we also propose is the establishment of special conditions for admission to study at universities for our veterans, children of fallen Ukrainian Heroes, children with disabilities, orphans and other preferential categories," he said.