Putin's project to train the "new managerial elite" will include war veterans without higher education for the first time, participants of the war in Ukraine without a higher education certificate will be allowed to study as part of the "Time of Heroes" program, Kommersant writes. Instead of two years, as was the case in the past, the training will last three years - during this period, the participants of the program will have to master the Bachelor's degree program of the Presidential Academy in the direction of "State and Municipal Management". We are not lowering the bar. The selection is still serious and takes place in several stages, - said the Rector of the Presidential Academy Alexey Komisrov. The studies will take place face-to-face starting in September 2027. The number of participants will remain roughly the same - about 80 people. The Time of Heroes program was established by Putin in 2024. Its goal was called "the formation of a new administrative elite" of the state. In 2026, 639 million rubles were spent on the program, in 2027 it is planned to allocate 256 million rubles. At the same time, the State Duma has already recommended to the government to increase the budget allocations for the program "in order to prolong its implementation".