Lithuania Continues to Support Ukrainian Students!
Today, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport of Lithuania held a joint online meeting to discuss support for Ukrainian students. Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, Deputy Minister Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Lithuanian Minister of Education, Science, and Sport Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Deputy Minister Justas Nugaras, and State Secretary of the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport Julijus Lukošius discussed the continuation of existing support for Ukrainian students and further development of joint solutions.
Lithuania is one of the partner countries with which we continue to uphold shared values and develop cooperation within the European Higher Education Area. However, the war in Ukraine persists, posing daily challenges for our country. As long as there is a threat to the lives of our people and challenges in the energy sector, we need support from our international partners.
"Ukraine remains under constant Russian attacks, with significant parts of our territory suffering and continuing to suffer considerable destruction. Russian shelling persists, forcing our people to seek refuge abroad. We ask our international partners to maintain all existing support programs for Ukrainian students and pupils currently in Lithuania, as well as for potential new arrivals in the future," said Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi.
Lithuanian Minister of Education, Science, and Sport Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė emphasized, "We are committed to supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian students and pupils already in Lithuania will continue to receive the same support."
Lithuania will continue its support in the following ways:
- Ukrainian students currently studying in Lithuanian higher education institutions (HEIs) will continue to receive the same conditions and support until they complete their studies.
- Ukrainian pupils currently attending Lithuanian schools will have the opportunity to enroll in Lithuanian HEIs on equal terms with Lithuanian students. Additionally, Ukrainian applicants will not be required to take the Lithuanian language exam.
- Ukrainian pupils residing in Lithuania but continuing to study remotely in Ukrainian schools, and not enrolled in the Lithuanian education system, as well as master students will have access to special scholarships for foreign citizens to enroll in Lithuanian HEIs. The Ministers agreed to continue seeking opportunities to increase the number of such scholarships and prioritize Ukrainian applicants.
"One thousand Ukrainian students are currently studying in Lithuanian HEIs, and we will continue to support them," stated Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Education, Science, and Sport Justas Nugaras.
Additionally, Lithuania is ready not only to continue its current support but also to create new opportunities to assist Ukrainian students.
"It’s important that Ukrainian applicants who have completed Lithuanian schools can now enroll on equal terms with Lithuanians, but without the mandatory Lithuanian language exam. This creates additional opportunities for Ukrainian students in Lithuania. They can now compete for general admission places, which are much more numerous than quota places. Furthermore, Lithuanian HEIs have one of the highest numbers of English-taught bachelor's programs in Europe. The Lithuanian side has found a way to provide better opportunities for our students to pursue higher education, and we are grateful for these steps," said Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mychailo Wynnckyj.
"Some Ukrainian children are not attending Lithuanian schools so they cannot integrate into local communities. This undoubtedly hinders their socialization and affects their psychological well-being. This needs to be changed. We are creating additional opportunities by introducing scholarships so that they can also enroll in Lithuanian HEIs," noted Julijus Lukošius.
For its part, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine urges Ukrainian children abroad to attend local schools while continuing to study the Ukrainian component.
Additionally, since 2022, Lithuania has allowed Ukrainians who were forced to relocate due to the war to study at its HEIs for free, with Vilnius covering 60% of the tuition costs for Ukrainian students, and the remaining amount covered by the Lithuanian HEIs. In 2023, Lithuania allocated 4.6 million euros to fund the education of over 1,000 Ukrainians. In 2024, Lithuania will continue to compensate the tuition costs for Ukrainian students already enrolled in the country's HEIs.
We sincerely thank our Lithuanian partners for their comprehensive support!