We've seen it all: Retroactive tuition fee hike at Marmara University

Marmara University has applied a retroactive hike to tuition fees paid last year, requesting additional payments from students. On top of this year's 1,800 TL tuition, some students have been forced to pay an additional 400 TL.

As reported by BirGün; engineering students in particular had completed their course registrations without issue last year after paying tuition fees that exceeded 800 TL per semester. However, this year, the university increased last year's tuition to approximately 1,200 TL and demanded a retroactive additional payment.

This situation has significantly increased the total debt of students. With the hiked fees, the total amount students in the Faculty of Engineering are required to pay has reached 2,600 TL. In the Faculty of Political Sciences, students who paid 677 TL in tuition last year were faced with a 340 TL retroactive difference. While this year's tuition has risen to 1,452 TL, the total payment has exceeded 2,100 TL.

OBSTACLE TO COURSE REGISTRATION

Students learned that their course registrations would be blocked if the retroactive additional payment is not made. It was stated that the practice applies to all departments. Students have reacted to the decision.

STUDENTS ARE REACTING

A Computer Engineering student said, “The tuition we paid last year was sufficient, but now a retroactive difference is being requested. Moreover, this year's tuition is also hiked. This creates a serious economic burden.”

Another engineering student stated, “If you don't pay the tuition, you can't register for courses. We paid 800 liras per semester last year and continued our studies. This year, they have already hiked that fee by more than 50 percent. On top of that, they have added another 50 percent hike to last year's tuition. Consequently, the total tuition we will pay this year has been hiked by more than 100 percent.”

A Political Science and Public Administration student also said, “I do not accept that tuition fees are hiked retroactively and that we are made debtors overnight. Economic conditions in the country are already difficult; with rent, transportation, and food, most of us are forced to work while studying. With this decision, the university administration leaves students in the middle of a crisis. Students are forced to pay the price for the economic crisis that is growing in our country every day.”

Emphasizing that the university is one of the institutions receiving the most funding in the country, the student added, “We do not accept the university viewing students as a means to make a profit. These decisions made at universities where there are friends who have had to drop out due to economic conditions are leaving young people without a future. As a student who has to work while studying, I understand once again how important and priority a demand free education is.”