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KV #19905-9705 PR dated 02.04.2013.

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RESEARCH CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS of NAS of Ukraine (KHARKIV, UKRAINE)

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According to the decision No. 802 of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine dated 14.03.2024, is registered as a subject in the field of print media.
ID R30-03156

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Liburkina L. M.

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Regional Disparities in Pricing Regulation in Higher Education: The Impact of the Indicative Cost Mechanism in a Wartime Situation
Pysarchuk O. V.

Pysarchuk, Oksana V. (2026) “Regional Disparities in Pricing Regulation in Higher Education: The Impact of the Indicative Cost Mechanism in a Wartime Situation.” Business Inform 5:195–203.
https://doi.org/10.32983/2222-4459-2026-5-195-203

Section: Education and Science

Article is written in Ukrainian
Downloads/views: 7

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UDC 378.014.543:338.534.4 (477)

Abstract:
The relevance of this study stems from the significant challenges facing Ukraine’s higher education system under martial law. The regulatory mechanism introduced to determine the minimum cost of undergraduate education through an indicative cost indicator – which is aimed, in particular, at equalising the funding conditions for the State-funded and fee-paying forms of study – has revealed certain negative consequences at the regional level. This is particularly acute in frontline territories, where higher education institutions have found themselves in unequal competitive conditions. The aim of this article is to assess the regional disparities of the indicative cost mechanism in Ukraine’s higher education system under martial law and to determine its impact on the competitive positions of higher education institutions. The main hypothesis is that this regulatory instrument, rather than creating a level playing field, exacerbates inter-regional inequality, placing an additional burden on institutions in frontline territories. The methodological basis of the study consists of a combination of statistical, comparative and correlation analysis, alongside the Min-Max data normalisation method. The data set is based on official figures for indicative unit costs for the years 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were used to assess the stability of the regional structure. The study found that, under martial law, there was a radical shift in the interregional ranking based on indicative tuition fees. In 2025, the highest values for the minimum cost of education were recorded precisely in the frontline regions (Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Sumy regions), which significantly weakens their competitive position. Correlation analysis confirmed the loss of stability in regional distribution following the reinstatement of the mechanism. The scientific novelty of the study lies in identifying and quantitatively substantiating the asymmetric impact of the indicative cost mechanism on HEIs depending on their geographical location during the wartime period. The practical value of the results lies in substantiating the need to improve the regulatory mechanism through the introduction of regional adjustment coefficients that take into account security risks, migration processes and the specific features of the socioeconomic development of the regions. The proposed approaches can be used when amending the regulatory framework in the field of higher education.

Keywords: indicative cost price; regional disparities; martial law; funding for higher education.

Tabl.: 4. Bibl.: 21.

Pysarchuk Oksana V – Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting and Business Consulting, Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics (9a Nauky Ave., Kharkiv, 61166, Ukraine)
Email: [email protected]

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