The admission campaign will be fair.

Where to go to study? At which higher education institution to get an education? What documents are needed for admission? A correspondent of "Family and Home" asked about this at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University. Oleksandr Semenov, the executive secretary of the admissions committee, was invited to the conversation.

- Oleksandr Serhiyovych, when does the admissions committee start working?

- The admissions campaign at VDU starts on June 25. From that very day and until July 15 inclusive, we will accept documents from applicants. Exams for all specialties will be held from July 16 to 30, according to the approved schedule. On July 31, at a meeting of the admissions committee members, a decision will be made on recommending applicants for admission. In accordance with this decision, on August 5 an order is signed on the admission of students who have successfully passed the exams. The document will be posted on the notice board of the main building of VDU; in addition, it can be viewed on the official website of the university.

- Choosing a future profession - today, agree, this is one of the most pressing issues for an applicant and their parents....

- Yes, it is truly not easy. We hope to see purposeful and gifted young people within the walls of our educational institution. Therefore we want to emphasize that admission to one or another specialty is carried out on a competitive basis; accordingly, the applicant must thoroughly prepare for the exams. Suppose, if the economics faculty has 11 state-funded places, then usually three or four of them are claimed by winners of olympiads, tournaments, competitions-defenses of scientific works by members of the Minor Academy of Sciences. Also take into account more than two dozen medalists, the same number of "Chernobyl victims," disabled children, orphans, who also wish to study at state expense. That is why we place the main emphasis on capable young people who are confident in their knowledge. It is clear that there are many who want to enroll with us, and therefore we advise our future applicants to think carefully about which specialty they dream of mastering and, of course, to weigh their own capabilities. To successfully realize oneself is no small human happiness...

- How many places are allocated to state orders and how many to the paid form of study?

- More and more applicants come to us year after year for entrance exams. According to 2004 data, we admitted 1007 people to the state-funded form of study and 1640 to the paid one.

- Are tuition prices changing?

- Yes, tuition prices increase every year. This is explained primarily by inflation. Although, I will note that the cost of study that a first-year student must pay will not change throughout the entire period of their stay at the higher education institution. This is guaranteed by the Law "On Higher Education."

- Name the categories of beneficiaries and the benefits granted to them?

- The categories of beneficiaries and the benefits granted to applicants are completely different things. One can be admitted to VDU with the following benefits: without entrance examinations (winners and prize-winners of republican tournaments, olympiads, competitions-defenses of scientific works by members of the Minor Academy of Sciences, as well as persons who took first place in the above-mentioned events, but at the regional level). Last year we admitted 46 applicants under such conditions. Based on the results of an interview, medalists who have the right to admission outside the competition can become our students. Special attention is given to applicants who are admitted outside the competition. These are disabled children, children affected by the Chornobyl accident, persons with the status of orphan children, children of military servicemen or law enforcement officers whose parents died in the line of duty. Also, the Law "On Education" provides for a category of beneficiaries under targeted referrals. They are obtained at the regional department of education and science under the ministry's quota. As for the category of citizens who have benefits based on the results of a profile examination and on the basis of preferential right, it includes medalists of general education schools, as well as winners of regional olympiads.

- The issue of bribery, unfortunately, remains relevant... How must the admissions committee work to prevent this scourge?

- We work under the slogan "VDU - a territory free from corruption and bribery." The hotline of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is operating (216-13-16), as well as the VDU hotline (tel. 72-45-21). If information about bribery is received on these numbers, the university leadership will immediately respond to it. I will note that our employees will not be included in the university's appeal commissions. Instead, highly qualified teachers of the city of Lutsk, recommended by the regional department of education and science, are involved in the work. Public oversight will be carried out by deputies of the regional and city councils, as well as media representatives.

- Which faculties are in greatest demand among applicants?

- The government has long stated that there are too many lawyers, economists, and doctors in Ukraine. However, the rating of these specialties is incredibly high. VDU has thirty-nine specialties and eighteen faculties. The top ten most popular of them looks like this: "law," "finance," "international relations," "accounting and audit," "land management and cadastre," "English language and literature," "country studies," "applied linguistics," "Olympic and professional sports," and "social pedagogy." By the way, this year we plan to open two new specialties - "religious studies" and "philosophy."

Ihor Kotsan, head of the admissions committee, acting rector of VDU, assured SiD that "the admissions campaign will take place honestly, transparently, and necessarily with the involvement of the public, so that no applicant or their parents can reproach the admissions committee of our university. We invite capable, talented young people to test their strength, and those who successfully pass the entrance exams will be glad to welcome as students of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn State University."

Olena P"YANYKH