Occupation is not a reason to give up on a Ukrainian diploma. Ukrainian education remains accessible to everyone who wants to build their future in a free country. The state has developed special mechanisms that allow schoolchildren and young people in temporarily occupied territories to study at Ukrainian higher education institutions. This article answers common questions about admission for residents of TOT.

• Simplified admission conditions (the possibility to apply without taking the NMT (National Multi-Subject Test)).
• The option to enroll even without a Ukrainian passport.
• Preferential access to state-funded education and scholarships (Quota-2).
• The possibility of online admission.
• Anonymity and support throughout the admission process.

Residents of TOT, or those who left after October 1, 2025, may skip the NMT and instead take an internal university interview covering 4 subjects: Ukrainian language, History of Ukraine, Mathematics, and one elective. Admission chances through the NMT or interview are equal.

If departure took place before October 1, 2025, NMT results are required, but Quota-2 still applies.

This is a separate competition for state-funded places for applicants from TOT and active combat zones. At most universities, it covers 10% of places (but no fewer than 1%), while relocated higher education institutions may allocate up to 40%.

Applicants eligible for Quota-2 include those whose place of residence is confirmed (declared or registered) in:

• in TOT (as of February 24, 2022);
• in settlements classified as active combat zones (as of July 1, 2024);
• in settlements where temporary occupation ended after January 1, 2024 (if applicants still live there or were internally displaced during the admission year);
• in the TOT of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, provided they obtained lower or full secondary education after February 20, 2014.

If your documents do not include registration in TOT, information about your place of residence and/or your parents’ or guardians’ registration is sufficient.

1. Choose your specialty and university.
2. Contact the “Crimea-Ukraine” or “Donbas-Ukraine” educational center at your chosen university (contacts are available on the university website or via the link provided).
3. Submit documents in person or remotely and, if needed, complete entrance assessments in Ukrainian language, History of Ukraine, Mathematics, and a profile subject.

The “Crimea-Ukraine” and “Donbas-Ukraine” educational centers provide admission support for applicants from TOT and frontline territories. 

They operate from June 1 to September 30 and support applicants at every stage — from completing required assessments to submitting documents and attending interviews. Part of the process can be completed remotely before departure. The centers support residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Sevastopol, parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as frontline settlements.

1. Application form.
2. ZNO or NMT certificate (if available).
3. Certificate of registration as an internally displaced person (if available).
4. Identity document, or birth certificate if unavailable.
5. Four color photos (3×4 cm).
6. State-standard education document and supplement, or a certificate confirming successful annual assessment and state final attestation from an authorized secondary education institution in the admission year.

Contact the educational center at your chosen university. You will be assigned to an authorized school where you can remotely complete your annual assessment and state final attestation in Ukrainian language and History of Ukraine and receive the relevant certificate. This certificate allows you to participate in the competition without ZNO or NMT certificates.

For applicants without a Ukrainian school certificate, admission is only possible at the university through whose educational center the procedure began. In that case, you may submit up to 5 applications to that one institution through the center.

A birth certificate or even a parent’s documents are sufficient — in this case, even holding an RF passport is not an obstacle to admission. A Ukrainian passport can be obtained after enrollment.

It will be conducted in addition to the individual oral interview. If you cannot attend in person, the interview or creative competition can be conducted remotely with video recording. Recordings of applicants currently in TOT are not made public but are retained by the admissions committee.

For higher education institutions:

Stage I (state-funded places): July 19 – August 1 (6:00 PM).
Stage II (contract enrollment with possibility of transfer to vacant state-funded places): July 19 – September 23.

Registration for interviews and creative competitions begins July 3.

Important: f you do not have a Ukrainian-standard school certificate, you may contact an educational center from June 1 onward to allow enough time to complete the certification process.

For professional pre-higher education institutions:

Stage I (state-funded): July 1 – July 23 (6:00 PM).
Stage II (contract with possible transfer to vacant state-funded places): July 24 – September 30.

If you cannot do so in person, scanned copies may be sent to the educational center’s email address.

State-funded students: 6 months after studies begin.

Contract students: 3 months from the date of the enrollment order.

The contract can also be signed remotely using a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES). For professional pre-higher education, remote signing is possible without QES.

Important: even if you do not secure a state-funded place through Quota-2 initially, after enrolling on a contract basis, you may still apply for transfer to a state-funded place.

Your data in admission lists and other documents will be encrypted, so neither neighbors nor occupation authorities will be aware of your enrollment.

During admission, the state provides free housing, and young people under 23 may receive one-time state assistance of UAH 50,000. Scholarships, preferential dormitory accommodation, and additional post-relocation support are also available.

• Save Ukraine

• • • Phone 0 800 33 31 29
    • E-mail info@saveukraineua.org
    • Telegram @SaveUkraineOfficial
    • Website saveukraineua.org

• Helping to Leave

• • • Phone +380 (93) 177 64 58
    • Telegram-bot @helpingtoleave_bot
    • Website helpingtoleave.org

• Humanity

• • • Telegram @humanity_ask2

• Bring Kids Back UA (Initiative of the President of Ukraine)

• • • E-mail info@bringkidsback.org

• Українська мережа за права дитини

• • • Phone / Viber / Telegram +380 50 015 58 46
    • Website childrights.org.ua

• Plakhta Charitable Foundation

• • • Telegram @Plakhta_BF
    • E-mail plakhta.org@gmail.com
    • Website plakhta.org

• Office of the Ombudsman

• • Free hotline +380 44 299 74 08
  • Phone / Viber / Telegram +380 93 406 80 17

For those not yet ready to enroll, preparatory programs are available, including a “foundation course.” This helps strengthen knowledge of Ukrainian studies subjects, aids adjustment, and allows time to prepare for future education.

Quality Ukrainian education is not just a diploma — it is your real pathway to a free and secure future where your talents will be recognized worldwide. Rectors, teachers, and volunteers are working hard to support your choice to stay with Ukraine. Choose freedom, choose development — build your future at home, in a free Ukraine!