There will be a new way to distribute paid places at universities. What you need to know

The Ministry of Education and Science has published a draft methodology for the allocation of paid places in universities. It will apply to public and private educational organizations, and is designed to avoid excessive commercial recruitment for specialties that are not in demand on the labor market. What the introduction of the methodology will mean for universities and students is in the material of Izvestia.

Which specialties will be affected

• The methodology was developed in accordance with the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin to "eliminate excessive paid recruitment" in specialties for which there is no demand from employers. Currently, it is planned to set a maximum number of commercial jobs in more than 40 specialties. The draft is at the stage of public discussions of the text.

• Among the specialties with a limited commercial set were not only popular legal and economic fields, professions in the media and travel industries, but also psychology, dentistry, philology, linguistics, architecture, design, fire safety, as well as mining, oil and gas and customs. The Ministry may add to this list or remove several specialties after a public discussion.

Strategic personnel: universities and schools have increased the recruitment of teachers in natural sciences

Experts note a noticeable increase in the interest of schoolchildren and a shortage of technical staff.

Major changes

• The number of paid places at the university will be calculated for each specialty and each branch of the educational institution separately. The decision will be made by an interdepartmental working group under the Ministry of Education and Science, which has yet to be formed. It will be impossible to transfer the limit of "paid" places from the parent organization to branches and vice versa, as well as redistribute them between branches of the same university.

• The number of places available for commercial education will be determined based on the average number of "paid students" who have enrolled in the university over the past three years. The number of paid places in any specialty can be increased if the majority of university students receive education in this field of knowledge. In other words, it will be possible to expand the commercial recruitment in the specialties relevant to the university. At the same time, the restrictions will not apply to international students who apply to study under the target agreement.

• Universities may be without paid enrollment, where only "C-students" study on a commercial basis. According to the draft document, if the average USE score of those accepted to study on a commercial basis under a contract in the 2025-2026 academic year turned out to be below 50, then there will be no paid places in this specialty in the set of 2026.

Court of revelry: rector of St. Petersburg State University spent more than 95 million rubles on personal needs

At the moment, the university's property is owned by the state.

• The university can reduce the number of paid places at its discretion, but to increase it, it will be necessary to submit reasoned objections, and if the working group listens to them, the quota for "paid students" may increase to 15%. Institutions will have five days to appeal the decision, and the report will begin immediately after the distribution of paid places by the interdepartmental group.

What is the methodology for?

• Limiting commercial recruitment for certain specialties will prevent those universities that do not care about the quality of education from earning money. An increase in the number of "paid students" is possible primarily for specialized university specialties, where they usually have more serious competencies and an educational base. At the same time, no more than 10 paid places are provided by default for a new specialty for the university.

• The methodology is expected to improve the quality of education in higher education institutions. The lower threshold for USE scores for applicants will encourage universities to take a more serious approach to the quality of student recruitment, and will help avoid a situation where insufficiently trained "payers" reduce the quality of education in the entire group.

During the preparation of the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• - Oleg Smolin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education.