In 2025, Nearly 3,000 Russian Troops Who Had Fought in Ukraine, and Their Children, Were Admitted to Top Russian Universities Through Quotas. That’s One and a Half Times More Than Last Year

IStories has calculated that, in 2025, nearly 3,000 people enrolled in 18 top Russian universities under the quota for troops involved in the war in Ukraine and their children. This represents a 58% increase over last year's enrollment under the same quota (excluding university branches). More than 1,000 people were admitted without taking exams. Typically, these are the children of deceased or wounded "SMO (special military operation) veterans."

For instance, at St. Petersburg State University, of the 103 "individual" beneficiaries who were admitted without taking exams, at least five are active-duty servicemen, and an additional 26 applicants are children of deceased or wounded mercenaries.

The number of enrollees with the "SMO-benefits" is growing for the third year

In 2023, Putin introduced a special quota that allows to get a tuition-free scholarship in university for troops who had fought in the war in Ukraine and their children by decree. The law requires a quota of at least 10% of the seats in each major at all universities. People who can use the quota should be "law enforcement officers and other citizens" who performed official functions in occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as their children.

This is the only case in Russia when the professional activity of parents allows their children to enroll in universities under favorable terms. Children of teachers, doctors, firefighters and rescuers, and other professionals working in Russia have no such benefits. Only the children of medical workers who died during the pandemic can enroll under a separate quota, but only for medical universities.

The number of "SMO-quota" students keeps growing

Entrance privileges for children of troops were introduced in 2022. At that time, 1,879 children of the "SMO" mercenaries were accepted to universities on this basis. A year later, the quota got separated and expanded to include not only children, but also those who fought in Ukraine since 2014 and other categories of so-called "siloviki."

The "SMO" troops and their children are enrolled under the quota for the fourth year, and each time, there are more of them. In 2023, about 9 thousand people entered all Russian universities under a separate quota; in 2024, more than 15 thousand. This is 3.5% of all budgetary freshmen (who get a tuition-free scholarship, funded by the state — IStories). Statistics on enrollment for 2025 for the whole country are not yet available, but we have compared the number of students accepted in the best Russian universities.

Regional universities have the largest increase in the number of students enrolled under the "SMO quota."

The Novosibirsk State University this year enrolled three times more students on the special quota basis — 93. Most of them picked Informatics and Computer Science as a major. To enter on a general basis, they would need to get 260 points on the USE, but none of them scored on it.

At the Tomsk State University (TSU), the number of students enrolled under the quota has doubled. In 2025, 119 people entered TSU on these grounds, more than half of them without entrance tests.

The lowest result, with which an applicant was able to enter the budget place on a separate benefit, was 121 points. The future student barely crossed the threshold in all three subjects, but at the expense of the quota, was able to pass to the major Construction at the Ural Federal University. At Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (PFUR), an applicant with 124 points was welcomed to the Chemistry major. At the Far Eastern Federal University, 128 points were enough for the special freshmen to enter Chemical Technology.

Among major Moscow universities, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and Moscow State University (MSU) are leading in the increase in enrollment of the special quota. The MIPT in 2025 enrolled twice as many "SMO"-students as last year — 42 people (every fourth of them are without exams). More than 300 people enrolled under the quota at MSU, 116 of whom were accepted without USE results. For example, six participants of the war with Ukraine or their children will start studying cosmonautics, but only one of them provided USE results to enter.

Most of those enrolled under the quota would not have gotten into the general competition

Most of those who took advantage of the "SMO quota" were accepted to top Russian universities without exams or scored lower than they would have needed for general entry (we compared their results with the passing scores for 2024, as they are not yet available for 2025 — IStories). Of those who entered these universities based on the results of the USE, 72% would not have been admitted without the quota (in 2024, this number was 70%).

One of the most desirable Russian universities, the Higher School of Economics in Moscow (HSE), accepted 262 people under the "SMO quota," more than half of them without exams. Of the 118 applicants who submitted USE results, only four would have passed without the quota. While the fate of ordinary applicants is decided by each point, those entering under the "SMO quota" can score almost 80 points less and still get in and study for free. For example, a future sociology student at the National Research University HSE got into the budget place with a score of 198 points, while the baseline was 276. On average, those entering under the quota at the Higher School of Economics scored 30 points less than typical applicants.

Almost all future doctors enrolled under the "SMO quota" in three Russian medical schools (Sechenov Medical University in Moscow, Pavlov Medical University in St. Petersburg, and Burdenko University in Voronezh) either passed without exams or scored below the threshold.

In Voronezh Medical School (VMS), only one person would have entered without the quota. The lowest scores were provided by future pediatricians: they entered VSM with scores from 161 to 192, while the required minimum for the rest of the applicants is 244 for the three exams. For the Medicine major, the applicant under the "SMO quota" had 205 points, while those entering by general competition needed a minimum of 268.

The oldest medical university in Russia, the First Sechenov Medical University, accepted 181 applicants under the special quota. Most of them enrolled without passing USE. Such freshmen took all the places for the quota, for example, in the major of Dentistry. Of those who provided the USE results, more than 80% did not get a passing score. In the most popular major, Medicine, such applicants are 90%. In the First Medical School in St. Petersburg, the lowest scores under the quota provided by future pediatricians: 190 points, while the passing score is 256.

In one of the most competitive and prestigious Russian universities, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), only two of those enrolled under the "SMO quota" would enter the university on their own. On average, they have 25 points less than required by the general competition.

Only four students accepted under the quota to the National Research Nuclear University, one of the strongest technical universities of Russia, would have been able to enroll based on their USE scores. All the rest would not have entered the university under the general rules. For example, all the students accepted under the "SMO quota" to the Nuclear Power Plants and Nuclear Power Plants major did not pass the Unified State Exams with the required score for the free tuition.

More benefits for war veterans and their children

More people are wishing to enter higher education institutions on a budget under the "SMO quota" than there are places allocated for this purpose. The competition is in PFUR, where more than four people are for one quoted place.

The admission rules say that in such a situation will look at the average score of the school diploma and additional achievements. "Each case is considered individually. Possible mechanism for enrolling the applicant at the expense of the university," — the admissions office of PFUR responded to IStories.

According to Valery Falkov, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science, 50,000 budget seats are reserved for participants in the war against Ukraine and their children in 2025. In July, he reported to Putin that the Ministry of Education and Science had increased the quota for participants in the "SMO" and their families. According to him, universities "individually approach each case, helping such students could provide additional scholarships."

For example, HSE has established additional benefits so that now free tuition could be provided not only to troops and their children, but also to their spouses, brothers, sisters, and even adoptive parents. The only requirement is to pass the Unified State Exam for the minimum score established for the chosen program. If they get less, they can take internal exams at HSE remotely. Also, they can even choose a program with no budget places: the university will still pay for their education. Last year, 31 people enrolled in HSE in this way.

The extra quotas reduce the number of places in the general competition for which "applicants without benefits" can apply. This is noticeable in medical schools. The majority of budgetary places there are given to targeted applicants, who were sponsored by the admissions programme (75% in Pediatrics, 70% in Medicine, 63% in Dentistry). It requires students to sign a contract with the regional Ministry of Health or a medical organization, and after graduation, they are obliged to work in a state hospital for five years.

In addition, there is a "special quota" (mainly for orphans and people with disabilities) and the "SMO quota," each is allocated 10% of budget seats. As a result, there are very few places left for the general competition, and only winners of the state science competitions or "100-pointers" (who scored maximum points on USE — IStories) can enter.

For example, in 2024, 25 people out of 1020 (2.5%) enrolled in the free tuition places at Sechenov Medical University by the general competition for Medicine, the rest only by quotas. In 2023, 46 people out of 1015 (4.5%) were enrolled in the general competition, and in 2022, 81 people out of 990 (8%).

Sometimes, there are no budget places in the general competition at all. For example, in 2025, at PFUR in Dentistry, all the budget places went to target students and beneficiaries.