Under what conditions can an unemployed person receive higher education at the state's expense

In Ukraine, unemployed individuals and certain social categories can obtain new education or upgrade their qualifications at the state's expense. This refers to training with a special voucher that covers part of the education costs and allows changing professions or preparing for a new stage of a career. This is reported by the Mirror of the Week.

The programs for free education are implemented by the State Employment Service of Ukraine. They are available not only to military personnel or internally displaced persons but also to other citizens who meet the defined criteria.

State-funded education for the unemployed through a voucher

The training voucher can be obtained by:

• people aged 45 and older;

• veterans;

• persons with disabilities;

• internally displaced persons;

• released from captivity;

• citizens who were injured as a result of the war.

The same requirements apply to all categories. A person must have vocational, pre-higher professional, or higher education, not have undergone retraining at the expense of the Social Insurance Fund for unemployment in the last three years, not have previously received a voucher, and not be registered as unemployed at the employment center.

State-funded education in 2026: procedures and amounts

You can apply for a voucher online through the State Employment Service's website, providing contact details, existing education, desired level of education, and region. The voucher is only granted for obtaining the next educational level, for example from vocational education to pre-higher professional.

After submitting the application, a career advisor contacts the candidate within three days. Within 90 days, a contract must be signed with an educational institution that is included in the approved list.

The maximum voucher amount cannot exceed 10 living minimums for working individuals. As of 2026, this is 33,280 UAH. If the education costs more, the difference is paid by the student or the employer.

It is noteworthy that this year, 19,825 citizens of Ukraine have already taken advantage of the opportunity to receive vouchers for training to improve qualifications and expand career opportunities.