Can university or college students be drafted?

In Ukraine, the issue of military service is of great importance, especially for young people who are still studying in higher education institutions. Many students are worried about the question: can they be called up for military service if they are still studying at a university or college?

The Law "On Mobilization Training and Mobilization" clearly states that full-time students who obtain vocational-technical, vocational-pre-higher or higher education are not subject to mobilization. This also applies to trainee assistants, graduate students and doctoral students.

However, this does not mean that students cannot be issued a summons. If such a situation arises, the student must appear at the territorial recruitment center and submit documents confirming the reason for the postponement.

Among the documents that the student needs in this case are: a passport, a military ID, a student ID, and a certificate of enrollment in full-time studies at the relevant higher education institution, as well as an application for deferment.

It is worth noting that such a postponement is valid only for the period of study. If a student receives a diploma or is expelled from an educational institution, the deferment is automatically canceled.

It is also very important that the deferral does not apply in the so-called "intermediate period", that is, for example, when a student has completed a bachelor's degree and has not yet entered a master's degree, or after completing a master's degree and before entering a graduate school, etc. Until the person receives the status of a student at the educational institution and the Order on enrollment at the relevant educational institution is issued, the postponement will not apply.

If the student expresses a desire to join the military service, the postponement will not be an obstacle for this. In this case, he should apply to the Territorial Center for recruitment and social support and write a statement that he wishes to be a volunteer. After that, the military commissariat sends a notice to the university where the student is studying about his entry into military service, and the student, without additional applications, is granted an academic leave for the duration of his military service.