Overview

Since the Russian invasion, over 2,000 schools and universities in Ukraine have been damaged and more than 200 destroyed. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding Ukraine’s education sector will cost more than $9 billion.

The UN Refugee Agency reports that one-third of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes[1]. Of those displaced, 7.6 million are refugees spread across Europe and another 7 million are internally displaced within Ukraine[2]

Almost half of all Ukrainian refugees are children. In response to internal and cross-border movement, the Ministry of Education in Ukraine expanded access to online education platforms, enabling around eighty-five percent of schools to complete the 2021-2022 school year. The 2022 school year began on September 1st however, many schools have been unable to secure space for in-person classes and have provided virtual instruction instead.  Only 41 percent of schools are prepared for in-person instruction for the 2022/2023 school year[3].

Since the invasion, CS Ukraine has seen a robust increase in demand for study abroad programs. In April 2022, CS Ukraine organized a webinar for U.S. educational institutions on the situation and market demand. Ukraine is a price-sensitive market, however, the number of students studying in the United States has remained relatively stable over the last ten years. According to the most recent Open Doors Report of the Institute of International Education, 1,739 Ukrainian students studied in U.S. higher education institutions in 2020/21.

U.S. schools interested in supporting Ukrainian students should contact CS Ukraine for information regarding vetted local companies and representatives still operating during the war.

For additional information, please contact: Iuliia.Myronenko@trade.gov