400 hryvnias, 400 benefactors, and training for ten students: how the DoNation project works

Ukrainians are looking for new solutions to support the country and each other. They are also found in education — thanks to the community and charity subscription already this year at one of the leading Ukrainian universities, a dozen students got the opportunity to get an education free of charge. Rubryka looked into the project's work.

What is the problem?

Quality education is expensive. Not all talented Ukrainians have access to it and, therefore, to the disclosure of their potential. If education is free for a student, it means someone is giving their money for it: the state or benefactors. Ukrainian higher education is characterized by state scholarships — a budgetary form of education funding when the state pays for it. However, this is not the only solution, moreover, during the war.

What is the solution?

Collage: UCU

Supporting education is the way to the formation of the Ukrainian nation. Supporting talented youth is a contribution to Ukraine's future. An interesting solution, how everyone can support the education of Ukrainian youth, was found at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU).

They started a scholarship program there, which helps motivated students to get a quality education for free or at a significant discount. The DoNation project is not just a fundraiser but an invitation to solidarity with talented students for whom education is a challenging financial challenge.

"We believe that our graduates will influence their environment, carry the values of UCU to the world, and serve for the good of Ukraine. They can be the elite of society that will create the most positive changes in the country. But while they are not yet financially independent, we can support them and provide all of us with the future we dream of. By supporting such students today, you and I are making not just donations but something more to the nation," they say at the university.

Other universities and educational programs can implement a similar solution, and Rubryka explains how it works.

How does it work?

Every small doNation forms a great person

Photo: UCU

UCU is a private Ukrainian university. It has a tuition, but every year, the university committee processes hundreds of applications from applicants and students for scholarships. As a result, many young people receive personal scholarships from funders, namely entrepreneurs, public figures, organizations, and foundations from Ukraine and abroad, which support the mission and values of the university.

With the beginning of a full-scale war, the need for financial support for students increased even more. Therefore, the university decided to launch another fundraising method — through a monthly subscription.

The project was called DoNation. It is an online platform where anyone can subscribe, thus joining the formation of student scholarships. The monthly donation can be equal to the cost of one day of training (approximately ₴400 ) or be any other amount that the subscriber feels comfortable paying.

The students do not receive this money directly — a scholarship for UCU students is a full or partial payment for their studies at the university.

Socially active students with high rating points who participate in volunteer and charity projects can apply for a scholarship. The scholarships are also available for those who find themselves in a difficult situation and want to study at UCU. Scholarship recommendations are made by the scholarship committee, which works to assist applicants. Each student is interviewed, so the scholarship recommendation goes to the best of the best.

"We strive for UCU students to be active creators of positive changes around them, whether in small or large environments, in professional or private life, in Ukraine or abroad. As a university, we do everything we can to ensure that such a young generation is formed within our walls," the university team shared with Rubryka.

Throughout their studies at UCU, the students can realize themselves in service in one way or another, both at the university and outside. Every little bit of volunteering and participation in student or other social initiatives and projects is essential. "We take everything into account, and by giving a scholarship, we motivate not to stop and improve," says project coordinator Olesya Kopchak.

According to Kopchak, the scholarship is also about equal opportunities for everyone. After all, financial challenges should not stand in the way of obtaining a quality education. That is why scholarship support is so important. Such support not only helps those in need but also motivates them to study better, work for the good of society, and also teaches them to be self-sacrificing.

Does it really work?

The first ten grantees of the DoNation project. Photo: UCU

The DoNation project was launched in October 2022. Over ₴1,260,000 were collected within the framework of the project in less than a year, which made it possible to fully pay the tuition for ten students for a year.

On September 4, the Ukrainian Catholic University held a ceremony to award ten scholarships, the funds for which were donated by about 400 benefactors. Scholars, benefactors, and the UCU community met at the awarding ceremony.

"Why is the DoNation project and participation in it so important? First of all, because it is already bearing fruit and working — today, ten students will receive their scholarships from the project and will be able to realize their dream at UCU," Taras Dobko, the UCU rector and a participant in the project, said at the ceremony. "This is not only a contribution to the lives of these young people but also to the future of Ukraine, at least for the next 50 years, when they will be active and change our social life. This is an investment that will definitely return a hundredfold."

The university is happy that during daily fundraisers for the country's needs, Ukrainians support each other in education. Benefactors of the DoNation project are people of various ages and professions, including university employees, its graduates, and students' parents. Some of them were not part of the UCU community but still became a part of DoNation. The subscription amounts are very different, but most benefactors chose ₴400 for their donation, which is the amount that roughly covers one day of university education for one student.

Anastasiia Bura is one of the grantees of the DoNation project. Photo: UCU

One of the grantees of the DoNation project is Anastasiia Bura, a 4th-year law student. Bura is an active member of the UCU team, which participates in world mock trial sessions. In 2023, she represented UCU at competitions in Maastricht (the Netherlands) and has participated in the work of the university's Legal Clinic, helping military personnel, IDPs, and victims of financial fraud.

"For me, the priority area of study was the law itself, and I was fortunate that in the year of my admission, UCU started recruiting for the School of Law," Bura shared with Rubryka. At that time, she was only 15 years old and had been raised by her grandmother for two years, so her desire to study at the UCU Law School did not coincide with her financial capabilities. Bura was planning to apply to a state university. "Imagine my joy and confusion when, a day later, I received a call from the admissions office of the UCU informing me that I had received a scholarship for my first year of study here."

Bura shares that she remembers very clearly how she asked her grandmother what would happen next year. Her advice was straightforward: do what your heart is passionate about, and everything will be fine. In the end, that's precisely what happened. "I express gratitude from myself and my fellow students to the DoNation project and all benefactors — we received a huge trust credit, and we will justify it. For us, the DoNation project is support from the community for the community, and we are glad to be part of it," says Bura.

Even more useful solutions!

Project manager Olesya Kopchak. Photo: UCU

"By supporting young people in their studies, we greatly contribute to the development of the Ukrainian nation. Prominent Ukrainians, such as the historian Mykhailo Hrushevskyi or the scientist Kateryna Yushchenko, were also once ordinary pupils, students," says project manager Kopchak.

The university believes that education is one of the keys to forming real leaders of society. "Of course, not all of them will become such, but our graduates will definitely influence their environment, carry the values of UCU to the world, and serve for the good of Ukraine," adds Kopchak.

The educator says every donation, every post from ambassadors, every "like" on social networks, dissemination of information, subscription — all this made the project possible. A new school year is ahead, and therefore, new needs and challenges. Now, the DoNation project aims to provide 15 university students with scholarships by September 2024.