Does the deferment of service give you a college education: the Ministry of Education and Science named the condition
28 September 2025 19:05
The deferment of service in vocational education is granted only to those who have never studied in either colleges or universities. And such people are a minority in Ukraine.
This was stated by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Dmytro Zavgorodnyi in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Who gets a deferment in colleges
Deferments in education are granted only if you are studying at a level higher than your previous education, says Dmytro Zavhorodniy.
“For example, if you have graduated from a university and are applying to a vocational school, you will not be granted a deferment. You can get a deferral if you have no previous higher education. Similarly, in vocational institutions, if you have no previous education, but only a complete secondary education, then you get a deferral,” he explains.
That is, only in cases where a person has completed only 9 grades and now wants to study. Because this is a higher level of education than your previous one.
Are there any abuses of deferments in vocational schools?
While there is a record number of men enrolled in postgraduate programs because they are eligible for deferment, there is no such problem in vocational education, says Dmytro Zavhorodniy.
“We don’t have such a problem, because in Ukraine most people do get some kind of education. There is a fairly small percentage of people across the country who do not receive any education after school – neither vocational, nor professional pre-university, nor higher education. That’s why people who had no higher education are now applying for deferred admission to higher education. They had, for example, vocational or specialized pre-university education,” he explains.
Meanwhile, there are no such abuses in vocational education, because for people with higher education, this deferral no longer applies.
“And people with education are the majority in Ukraine. Plus, these courses and vocational education itself are short, and our goal is for people to go to work right away, to enter the labor market. That’s why we don’t have this fake demand. People understand: “Okay, it’s only nine months of study, plus exams and the actual learning process,” the deputy minister adds.
Deferment of studies
According to the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization,” students of
- professional (vocational) education;
- professional higher and higher education, who are enrolled in full-time or dual form of education and obtain a level of education that is higher than the previously obtained level of education in the sequence determined by part two of Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine “On Education”;
- doctoral students and persons enrolled in internships, etc.
