YÖK President Özvar announces: Those who previously benefited from amnesty can also apply for the student amnesty

Council of Higher Education (YÖK) President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar shared details regarding the student amnesty regulation that entered into force after being published in the Official Gazette on August 9. Stating that applications can be made until December 9, Özvar reported that the regulation also covers those who benefited from amnesties issued in previous years.

Özvar said it is difficult to make a precise estimate of the number of people who can benefit from the amnesty. Pointing out that there are also current students who could deregister and apply to benefit from the amnesty by December 9, Özvar estimated that approximately half a million students whose enrollment was terminated could apply, excluding this group.

Those who have benefited from previous amnesties and those who have not will both be able to benefit from this amnesty. Therefore, whether they have applied or not, whether or not they make an application in any way does not prevent them from benefiting from this amnesty.

APPLICATION AND SCOPE

The regulation covers those who were placed in a program but could not register, those whose enrollment was terminated while registered in a program from associate degree to doctorate, and those in preparatory classes. Özvar described the law as "one of the most comprehensive amnesty laws issued to date."

However, those convicted of certain crimes will not be able to benefit from the amnesty. Convictions for terror crimes, intentional killing, torture, torment, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and the production and trafficking of drugs or stimulants are excluded from the scope. Those whose enrollment was terminated due to illegal means or forged documents will also not be able to benefit from the regulation.

The maximum duration of study for students returning to university by benefiting from the amnesty will be calculated by taking into account the class or semester they are placed into. According to the example given by Özvar, for a student returning to a four-year undergraduate program from the third year, the years prior to their maximum duration will be deducted, and the remaining time will be determined accordingly.

In programs containing applied training such as medicine and dentistry, a different practice will be applied for students who have reached the internship stage. For students whose enrollment was terminated due to the maximum duration while they had completed their theoretical courses and were at the internship stage, the maximum duration will not be applied; these students will be expected to complete their internship and graduate.

If the program from which the enrollment was terminated has been closed or no longer accepts students, universities will process the registration for equivalent programs. Success rankings and base scores will be taken into account when determining the equivalent program. Horizontal transfer will be possible on the condition that the student is first registered in the program from which their enrollment was terminated or an equivalent program.