Rumors about a 'new' student deferment from September 1: what has actually changed in mobilization rules

In the run-up to the new academic year, Ukrainian social networks and messengers have been flooded with messages about the alleged introduction of new rules for granting deferment from mobilization to students starting September 1, 2026. In particular, a version is circulating that deferment will now have to be "renewed every semester," as if this were a fundamental innovation. Pavel Shikov, a partner at the law firm "AXIOS PARTNERS," explained to RBC-Ukraine what rules actually apply to students and what Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 978 has truly changed.

Rumors of a "new rule" from September 1 do not correspond to reality

According to the lawyer, the assertion that the Cabinet of Ministers is introducing a student deferment for one semester or six months specifically from September 1, 2026, is erroneous. This norm has been in effect in Ukraine since the beginning of 2025: it was introduced into the Drafting Procedure (Resolution No. 560) by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1558 dated December 31, 2024, which came into force on January 16, 2025. According to the established rules, deferment for those receiving education is granted for the period of one semester, but no more than six months. This is why students need to renew their deferment in the autumn due to the completion of the current academic semester, and not because of some new restriction.

What Resolution No. 978 actually changed

The main change provided for by Resolution No. 978 concerns not the term of student deferment, but the procedure for its re-registration on another legal ground. If, during the validity of a student deferment, a person acquires another ground provided for by Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Training and Mobilization" (for example, the establishment of disability or the birth of a third child), they may submit an application for re-registration. At the same time, the submission of such an application does not terminate the current deferment: while the documents are being reviewed by a special commission, the preliminary deferment remains in effect, and in the event of a refusal, the current student deferment remains valid until the expiration of the term prescribed by law. Resolution No. 978 also changed the deadlines for the consideration of applications by commissions at the TCC and SP: instead of seven calendar days, seven working days are now allotted from the moment of registration, with the possibility of extension to 15 working days if requests to other state bodies are necessary or there are technical problems with data exchange with the ESEBO. For the entire period of consideration, the military-liable person remains protected from mobilization.

Contradictory data

Here it is important to honestly record the discrepancy between versions. On the one hand, mass messages in open channels present the semester nature of deferment as a novelty coming into force on September 1, 2026, which generates panic and false expectations of a "fresh" rule. On the other hand, the legal position outlined by the lawyer unequivocally indicates that the semester limit has been in effect since January 16, 2025 (Resolution No. 1558), and Resolution No. 978 does not change the term, but only reworks the re-registration procedure and the deadlines for commission work. Additionally, plans to strengthen control over students aged 25 and older are being discussed in the public sphere to prevent enrollment and study solely for the purpose of obtaining deferment; at the same time, as emphasized, changes to the rules for granting deferment to students have not yet been adopted. Thus, the contradiction is not factual, but informational: real norms precede mass rumors by date.

Criteria and procedure for confirming status

The main criteria for students remain unchanged. The right to deferment belongs to those who study sequentially at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The main source of confirmation of the status of an education applicant is a certificate generated in the Unified State Electronic Database on Education Issues (ESEBO). The initial deferment or documents for its re-registration can be submitted through the prescribed channels — including through the "Reserve+" application or the CNAP.

Recommendations before the new semester

Before the start of the new semester, the lawyer recommends that students and doctoral candidates check several things. First of all, one should contact the personnel department or dean's office of the educational institution and ensure that the fact of study, its form, and the sequence of the educational level are correctly indicated in the ESEBO. You also need to check in "Reserve+" for the presence of a valid deferment and its validity period in the digital military record document. Since student deferment is granted for only one semester, before the start of the next semester, the procedure for updating data and generating a new certificate from the ESEBO will have to be gone through again.