Main funding principles

Ukraine is in the process of creating a legislative framework for adult education. The Draft Law on Adult Education and Training is currently under consideration (Проєкт закону України ‘Про освіту дорослих’). Adult education may be financed from the state budget, local budgets and other sources, including the learner's own funds or funds of other individuals or legal entities. State funding for adult education may be directed towards:

• Specialised training;
• Vocational training for a new profession; 
• Retraining and professional development within professional activities;
• Internships to gain practical experience in the performance of tasks and duties related to a specific professional activity.

Fees paid by learners

In state and municipal educational institutions, the state covers the cost of professional development and retraining services according to state/regional regulation.

In other cases, the educational institution sets fees for training, retraining, professional development and additional educational services. These fees are calculated on the basis of the scope of the programme, the form of study and the number of learners in the group. The contract specifies the amount and terms of payment.

Financial support for adult learners 

The state offers the following support measures for adult learners: 

• Individual accounts and vouchers;
• Subsidies and preferential loans;
• Reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs for those adult learners participating in educational programmes;
• Offering various forms of social support during their studies;
• Other relevant actions and initiatives.

In order to encourage employees to improve their skills, the state provides the following financial incentives: 

• Retention of the average salary during the training period at the employee's main place of work;
• Payment of travel expenses to and from the place of study;
• Payment of a daily subsistence allowance, as defined by law, for business trips;
• Providing dormitory accommodation for employees or reimbursing accommodation costs in accordance with business trip allowances for the period of study.

To encourage adult education, learners can receive a state-issued voucher for educational services. Such a voucher gives the right to:

• Retraining for a working profession;
• Continue training in a speciality for a Master's degree on the basis of a Bachelor's or Master's degree obtained in another speciality;
• Continue education at the next level (except for the third, educational scientific/ educational creative level of higher education);
• Specialisation and professional development in educational institutions or at the workplace.

The value of the voucher is determined on the basis of tuition fees, but cannot exceed ten times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons. 

Subsidies for private providers

The state provides annual funding for the development and free access to educational programmes and relevant training courses to meet the needs of citizens for personalised education and training.

In addition to tuition fees, private educational institutions may raise funds through charitable donations from Ukrainian and international organisations and employers to provide adult education services.