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- To know about the place: in the Russian Federation, they are preparing insurance for guaranteed tuition fees at the university
To know about the place: in the Russian Federation, they are preparing insurance for guaranteed tuition fees at the university
Russia is preparing to launch insurance to pay for future university education. Parents will have to make at least minimal contributions, for example, for 7-10 years. Then they will be able to receive a guaranteed amount to finance the child's education at one of the universities specified in the contract. Moreover, even if there are not enough savings for this, for example, if prices rise, Izvestia found out. The insurance company will arrange in advance with the university about the target locations. The applicant will only have to score a passing grade for the paid department. This is especially true against the background of the rise in the price of education, the cost of which has increased by 20% in recent years. Insurers are already working on the creation of this product, it may appear in 2026.
How will insurance work with a guarantee of admission to the university?
In Russia, they want to launch a fundamentally new insurance format — it will provide not only a payment, but a specific service. For example, a policy is being worked out for guaranteed payment for a child's education at a university, Evgeny Ufimtsev, head of the All-Russian Union of Insurers (VSS), told Izvestia. We can talk about financing both the first year of study and its entire duration — this will depend on the final parameters of specific companies.
The new insurance product will guarantee tuition fees even if the funds accumulated during the term of the contract will not be enough for this, said Evgeny Ufimtsev. Such a need arises against the background of an increase in the cost of education.
At the same time, products are being worked out that will give the insured person's child the opportunity to enroll in a university at a target place, the press service of the VSS clarified. There is interest from both insurers and educational institutions — similar products may appear in 2026.
Insurers are already developing funded life insurance programs for similar purposes, said Vladislav Gusev, CEO of NPF Renaissance Accumulation. They allow you not only to accumulate the amount necessary for the child's education, but also to protect it. In case of disability, death, or job loss, the company will still pay the accumulated amount to the policyholder's child.
— The average duration of such programs is from 7-10 years. During the term of the agreement, the client is required to make the minimum amount of payments per month in order to maintain the opportunity to receive a refund," the BCC explained.
The new product can combine existing benefits with new mechanisms: guaranteed coverage of tuition fees in the event of an increase in its cost, as well as the opportunity to enroll in a university at a target location.
— It is important that insurance companies provide not just trivial payments, but specific services. This can significantly increase the customer value of insurance products," Evgeny Ufimtsev emphasized.
The initiative of the insurers has not yet been received by the Ministry of Education and Science, the press service of the department clarified to Izvestia. As soon as the department receives it, it will be reviewed in accordance with the established procedure.
Will the money be refunded if the receipt is refused
Insurance companies will conclude contracts with specific universities and purchase a certain number of places in the expected year of admission, explained the head of the VSS Evgeny Ufimtsev. Then these places will be distributed among the clients.
It is assumed that several higher educational institutions will be registered in the insurance contract. This pool should include both leading and regional universities in order to maintain accessibility and choice, according to Oleg Abelev, head of the analytical department at the Rikom-Trust investment company. The main objective of the product is not profitability, but to reduce uncertainty and risks associated with future admission.
— If the child goes to the budget and does not need a designated place, the accumulated funds will be returned to the policyholder, — Evgeny Ufimtsev explained.
If the applicant does not enroll in the university, the policyholder will also receive a refund minus a small amount of "risk". Savings also work in regular NHS programs, Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets, added. Such a situation can occur if a person does not pass the competition even among the "target students", does not score the minimum threshold for the unified state exam (USE) or, in principle, abandons the idea of admission, explained associate professor at the Faculty of Economics of RUDN University Andrey Girinsky.
Nevertheless, if the mechanism assumes targeted places for insurance clients, the minimum allowable USE scores may be sufficient for admission, Igor Rastorguev explained. This is how individual quota mechanisms work now. Even if you do not take advantage of the opportunities offered by the insurer, the accumulated money will not burn out — in any case, it will be paid after the expiration of the contract, said Evgeny Ufimtsev.
The scheme is beneficial for insurers, as they profit from investing the client's contributions. At the same time, the market can easily predict a possible increase in prices for education, the head of the BCC specified.
Who needs insurance for admission to university
Igor Rastorguev from AMarkets is sure that the new insurance product may be in demand against the background of the rising cost of education. Over the past three years, the average cost of tuition at Russian universities has increased by 20% — from 184 thousand to 224 thousand rubles, and prices at leading universities reach 700-800 thousand. At this rate, families whose children will enroll in universities after 7-10 years will have to pay for an increase in the cost of education by about 80-100%.
At the same time, paid education is gradually gaining popularity, including due to tougher competition for budget places, added Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. In 2024, the growth rate of admission to paid education exceeded the rate of admission to universities as a whole. A new insurance product can make education more accessible to the public.
The mechanism of targeted admission is especially relevant against the background of stricter regulation of admission to paid places. Thus, on September 1, 2025, a law came into force in Russia, according to which the government received the right to establish rules for determining the cost of paid tuition, the number of students, areas of study and specialties of higher education.
"The transition to regulation of paid admission is primarily aimed not at reducing the number of paid places, but at building a flexible system of industry priorities for admission to Russian universities," the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science clarified.
Starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, the government introduces quotas for paid places in universities in the most sought-after areas, said Elena Kiselyova, an analyst at the Institute for Integrated Strategic Studies. The restrictions will affect about 40 specialties, including economics and management, law, journalism, psychology, dentistry, and others. At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science plans to tighten the requirements for minimum USE scores for admission to higher education institutions.
Insurance with a guarantee of tuition fees and admission to the target place is really able to support higher education, concluded Igor Rastorguev. The mechanism will ensure the influx of students to universities, as well as provide families with clarity about the educational prospects of their children.
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