During a recent court hearing in the case involving former Deputy Head of the President’s Office Iryna Mudra and former Member of Parliament Maksym Mykytas, another detail came to light—the possible funding of the official’s daughter’s education and living expenses in the United States.
The court heard that the amount in question was approximately $250,000, which, according to the prosecution, Mykytas was prepared to spend on these expenses. At the same time, the defense insists that the money was never actually transferred. Mudra herself had previously stated that her daughter is studying at the University of South Florida.
Against this backdrop, a broader question arises: what kind of education do Ukrainian officials generally choose for their children? Some send them to private schools and universities in the United Kingdom and the United States, while others keep them in Ukrainian higher education institutions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s daughter is studying in Ukraine; the children of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, after studying abroad, continued their education in Kyiv; and Denys Shmyhal’s eldest daughter attended universities in Lviv.
UA.News looked into where the children of current and former Ukrainian officials are studying or have studied—from Kyiv National University, Lviv Polytechnic, and private schools in Kyiv to universities in the U.S. and the UK—and how much education at these institutions costs.
Iryna Mudra: Daughter at the University of South Florida
In an interview published in 2026, the official herself said that her daughter moved to Israel at age 13, where she attended high school. After that, she enrolled in a university in the United States.
Mudra also named the specific institution: the University of South Florida.
The University of South Florida is a large public research university with its main campus located in Tampa. According to the university’s official estimates, tuition and fees for a non-Florida resident undergraduate student for the 2025–2026 academic year amounted to $18,416 per year.
Including on-campus housing, meals, books, transportation, and standard personal expenses, the university estimated the total annual budget at approximately $39,140.
Thus, two standard academic years could cost approximately $78,000. That is why the $250,000 mentioned in the case appears to be a significantly larger amount than the standard budget for this university.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A Private School in Kyiv and a Ukrainian University
The educational path of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s eldest daughter differs from many other examples among the Ukrainian political elite.
Oleksandra Zelenska attended the private Novopecherska School in Kyiv. It is one of the most well-known private schools in the capital. As early as 2019, Ukrainian media reported that the annual tuition there, depending on the grade, could be approximately $10,000–12,000.
After graduating from high school, the president’s daughter decided to study law. Olena Zelenska publicly spoke about her daughter’s desire to pursue a legal education, and later Ukrainian media reported that Oleksandra was studying at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Ruslan Stefanchuk: From the University of Vienna to Kyiv National University
The children of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk also have diverse educational backgrounds. His son Oles and daughter Zlata both pursued studies in law, but his daughter’s educational path proved particularly revealing.
Before the full-scale invasion, Zlata Stefanchuk was studying at the University of Vienna. After February 24, 2022, she decided not to return to Austria and transferred to Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Ruslan Stefanchuk himself spoke about this in an interview with Radio Free Europe. He also noted that his son, Oles, is studying at the same university in Kyiv.
In 2023, Stefanchuk specifically emphasized that both of his adult children live and study in Ukraine. According to him, his daughter made the decision on her own to stay in the country after the full-scale war began, even though she had already been admitted to an Austrian university.
Petro Poroshenko: Concord College, UCL, University of the Arts London, and LSE
The most extensive educational journey among the families in this selection belongs to the family of the fifth president, Petro Poroshenko.
His three youngest children—Oleksandra, Yevheniya, and Mykhailo—studied at Concord College in the UK. In 2018, Bihus.Info reported, based on Poroshenko’s financial disclosure, that in 2017 alone, the cost of the three children’s education totaled approximately 3.8 million hryvnias.
Today, Concord College is significantly more expensive. According to official rates, tuition with full boarding is £22,000 per term, or £66,000 per year. This amount includes tuition, accommodation in a private room, meals, use of facilities, and most extracurricular activities.
After high school, the twin sisters chose different universities in London. Oleksandra Poroshenko enrolled at University College London, where she studied economics, while Yevheniia enrolled at the University of the Arts London in a program related to animation. Marina Poroshenko publicly announced their admissions in 2018.
Today, a BSc in Economics at UCL costs £39,200 per year for international students. The standard program lasts three years, so tuition alone for the entire bachelor’s degree at current rates would exceed £117,000.
At the University of the Arts London, the international tuition rate for a BA in Animation in 2026 is £30,890 per year. Over three years, this amounts to more than £92,000, not including the cost of living in London.
His younger son, Mykhailo, also studied at Concord College. Petro Poroshenko’s eldest son, Oleksiy, followed a different educational path: Ukrainian media reported that he studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as at INSEAD in France.
Thus, all four of Poroshenko’s children have, at various times, studied at Western educational institutions.
Volodymyr Groysman: Two Daughters and a British Education
The two daughters of former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman also spent part of their education in the United Kingdom.
Before moving abroad, Khristina Groysman attended the Novopecherska School in Kyiv. In 2016, it was reported that she had enrolled at the private British CATS College, where she chose a program focused on art and design and studied foreign languages.
According to Ukrainian media reports at the time, a year of study cost approximately one million hryvnias, and room and board required a significant additional sum. CATS College effectively served as a private boarding school and a preparatory institution for admission to British universities.
The eldest daughter, Yulia Groysman, also studied in the United Kingdom. She earned her degree from the University of London’s School of Law and later worked in the United Kingdom as a practicing lawyer.
Thus, at least two of the former prime minister’s daughters received a significant portion of their education within the British system.
Vitali Klitschko: Children’s Education in Germany and the UK
The children of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko have spent a significant part of their lives outside Ukraine, primarily in Germany.
Most of the publicly available information concerns his eldest son, Yegor-Daniel. Ukrainian media, citing his public professional profiles, reported that he studied Business Management at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.
The University of Surrey is located in Guildford, near London. As a point of reference, the international tuition rate for a number of the university’s business programs for the 2026 academic year is approximately £23,700 per year.
A typical British bachelor’s program lasts three years, so at current tuition rates, tuition alone could cost over £70,000.
Klitschko’s younger children also received their secondary education in Germany.
Denys Shmyhal: His Eldest Daughter’s Two Higher Education Degrees in Lviv
The educational path of Denys Shmyhal’s children differs from most of the international cases in this selection. His eldest daughter, Anna, received her education in Ukraine—at two universities in Lviv at the same time.
Anna Shmyhal pursued a master’s degree at Lviv Polytechnic National University and, concurrently, earned a second degree in philology from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
Denys Shmyhal also has a younger daughter, Sofia. She appears in public much less frequently, and there is no detailed, reliable information about her current educational institution.
Yulia Tymoshenko: Her daughter’s British education began in her teenage years
One of the earliest known examples of a Western education among the children of the Ukrainian political elite is Yevheniia Tymoshenko.
The daughter of Ukrainian MP Yulia Tymoshenko moved to the United Kingdom while still a teenager. The British newspaper Evening Standard reported that Yevheniia attended Rugby School, one of the UK’s renowned private schools, and subsequently enrolled at the London School of Economics.
At the LSE, Yevheniia studied politics and philosophy. The university itself remains one of the most prestigious in the world in the fields of economics, politics, and social sciences. Today, certain LSE undergraduate programs for international students cost around £40,000 per year, not including living expenses in one of Europe’s most expensive cities.
Valeria Gontareva: A British Education for Her Son, but in Kyiv
The former head of the National Bank, Valeria Gontareva, chose a different path for her son. Her son, Mykyta, received an international education, but he didn’t have to go abroad to do so.
According to a Bihus.Info investigation, in 2017, Mykyta Gontarev graduated from the British International School in Kyiv. Such international schools allow students to study under British curricula and receive the corresponding educational credentials while remaining in Ukraine.
In other words, it is a kind of compromise between a regular Ukrainian public school and sending a child to live in London, the U.S., or Switzerland.
Iryna Gerashchenko: University of Reading and courses at Cambridge
Anna Zatsepina, the daughter of Iryna Gerashchenko—a member of parliament and former first deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada—also received an education abroad.
Back in 2017, journalists at Bihus.Info reported that the politician’s daughter had graduated from the University of Reading in the UK and had also taken courses at Cambridge. The publication cited information from her LinkedIn profile.
The University of Reading is a public research university in the United Kingdom, located approximately 60 kilometers from London. It offers programs in economics, business, law, the humanities, natural sciences, and other disciplines.
Today, tuition for international students there costs tens of thousands of pounds per year. For the 2026–2027 academic year, the university has set a standard tuition fee of £25,850 per year for programs without a significant laboratory component and £30,650 for majors with laboratory or practical sessions.
However, at current prices, a typical three-year bachelor’s degree for an international student at the University of Reading would cost approximately 77,500 pounds for tuition alone, not including housing, meals, transportation, and other expenses.
Up to £66,000 a year at Ukrainian universities: what kind of education do Ukrainian officials choose for their children?
If we look at all these families together, there is no single, uniform pattern. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s daughter, after attending a private school, chose to pursue her higher education in Ukraine. Valeria Gontareva’s son received a British education but studied in Kyiv. At the same time, the families of Poroshenko, Tymoshenko, Klitschko, Groysman, and Iryna Gerashchenko showed a much stronger preference for the British system. In the case of Iryna Mudra, it was the U.S.
Consequently, the cost of such an education varies greatly. A Ukrainian public university can cost several times less than a British or American institution, while private boarding schools and top Western universities require tens of thousands of dollars or pounds each year.
The University of South Florida estimated a typical annual budget for a non-resident student at approximately $39,000. The University of Surrey charges around £23,700 for certain international business programs. The University of Reading charges approximately £25,800 per year. The University of the Arts London charges £30,890. UCL Economics charges £39,200. And Concord College, including room and board, costs about £66,000 per year.
