Journalism for the Few: How the Lack of State-Funded Places Is Turning Independent Media into a Privilege for the Wealthy

As a second-year journalism student at Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University, I have had the opportunity to communicate with fellow journalism students from different regions of Ukraine. Through these conversations, I realized that the challenge faced by my classmates and me is not an isolated case but a systemic, nationwide problem. Access to state-funded education in journalism has been reduced to a minimum. Securing a tuition-free place without belonging to a privileged category—for example, having parents who serve in the military or qualifying for other state benefits—has become almost impossible.

Journalism is currently experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity in Ukraine. According to leading education and media outlets, in 2025 journalism ranked among the fifteen most popular fields of study in the country. A total of 19,925 applications were submitted, representing a 30% increase compared with the previous year. Young people aspire to become defenders of truth and guardians of the integrity of the information space.

However, this growing demand has a troubling downside. Only about 5–7% of applicants who apply for journalism programs are ultimately admitted to state-funded places. In absolute numbers, the situation appears even more alarming: across the entire country, the Cabinet of Ministers allocates only approximately 1,000–1,300 publicly funded places for Specialty 061 "Journalism." These places must cover all related fields, including print journalism, television, advertising, public relations, and publishing.

As a result, competition for a state-funded place is extraordinarily intense, reaching approximately 15–20 applicants per available position. At the country's leading universities, the minimum admission score required for state-funded study has risen to 180–185 points, despite the Ministry of Education and Science establishing a general minimum threshold of 130 points.

What, then, should the remaining 93–95% of applicants do after failing to secure one of these highly competitive places?

The Ukrainian government has increasingly focused on reforming higher education through a grant-based funding system. From the policymakers' perspective, grants appear to offer a solution: receive a grant and continue your education.

In reality, however, the system has significant shortcomings. First, grants rarely cover the full cost of tuition, particularly at prestigious or specialized universities. Students and their families are still required to pay the remaining amount themselves. Second, the grant model creates unequal opportunities for graduates from large cities, small towns, and rural communities. Differences in preparation for the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT), caused by prolonged power outages, frequent air raid alerts, and limited access to qualified private tutors, place many applicants at a considerable disadvantage.

Journalism is often described as the fourth estate—a profession that safeguards democratic values, exposes corruption, and maintains accountability within society. If access to journalism education becomes available only to those who can afford to pay for it, Ukraine risks creating an elite profession increasingly detached from the realities and concerns of ordinary citizens. In many European social democracies, higher education is regarded as a public good and a powerful instrument of social mobility rather than merely a commercial service reserved for those with financial means.

We cannot simply rely on market mechanisms and grant schemes to solve this problem. What Ukraine needs is an open and honest discussion about reforming the financing of higher education so that talented young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have equal opportunities to obtain a journalism degree and contribute to strengthening the country's information front.

If we choose to save money on educating journalists today, society may ultimately pay a much higher price tomorrow—through a shortage of truthful reporting, independent analysis, and professional journalism, leaving the information space increasingly vulnerable to paid-for content and propaganda.