There is probably no one who doubts that education is a top-priority interest of the state. The future of the Russian Federation and its economic and legal stability depend on the level of development of the system of education. The right to an education is one of the most fundamental and essential constitutional rights of the citizens of the Russian Federation. This article discusses the issues that have to do with the present state of higher educational institutions' autonomy in the context of ongoing processes in the reform of the system of education in Russia. (Contains 1 note.) [This article was translated by Kim Braithwaite.]