Unusual Increase in Student Tuition Fees Mid-Semester

Unconventional Increase in Student Tuition Fees Mid-Semester

The Shargh newspaper has reported, quoting several students from the Islamic Azad University in Iran, that the university has increased their tuition fees mid-semester and warned them that they will not be allowed to take exams if the fees are not settled. Students expressed concern to the newspaper about experiencing sudden and repeated tuition hikes, which unlike the usual practice of being requested at the start of the semester, are now being demanded mid-semester as well.

A look at student comments on social media also confirms their concern about the unconventional tuition increases. In recent weeks, calls from groups of students to hold gatherings in protest of the process of university tuition hikes have been published on social media.

Last September, the Director General of the Planning and Budget Office of the Islamic Azad University announced that the tuition increase for the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year would start at 5% and, depending on regional conditions and the status of fields, would rise up to 39%.