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In spring 2004 interviews were conducted with 43 rectors, vice rectors, and administrators at five private universities. A consensus emerged that successful licensing or accreditation applications, with few exceptions, required some form of bribery. Licensing might require a bribe of US$ 200 about two months' salary for a typical academic - while accreditation might call for a 10 or 20 times greater "gratuity."

Ukrainian university students can earn a passing grade two ways: by slogging through the books or by paying a $20 bribe. Yushchenko has decided to change this situation but the task won't be easy.

The Head of the Department of Economic Crimes Prevention of the Ministry of the Interior said in July 2006 that there were 210 cases of bribery registered in higher education institutions in that year, of which 11 were in Kiev. He mentioned a departmental chair in Lugansk who demanded that students pay his bills from the electronics and construction stores and he accepted cash as well. The corrupt chair was arrested while receiving a bribe of $2000. In yet another case, deputy-director of the Kiev National University's college was arrested while receiving a bribe of $6000. The number of investigated cases appears to be the tip of the iceberg as corruption in education is believed to be widespread.

Corruption is simultaneously a cause and a symptom of Ukrainian education system situation. The outdated teaching methods, underpaid and uninspired teachers the critical lack of resources and the disconnection between primary, secondary and post graduated education, show the need of the system to be reformed in order to be use full to a globalized world an a fluid society.