# Turkey caps tuition hikes, grants student amnesty > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkey-higher-education-enrollment-reforms > Updated: 2026-07-30T23:30:14.000Z. Sources: 100. Developments: 14. In late July 2026 the Turkish Grand National Assembly approved a sweeping amendment to the Higher Education Law, restoring enrolment rights for students whose studies were interrupted and allowing re‑entry for the 2026‑27 academic year. The amendment creates a four‑month application window (two months for recently discharged military personnel) and gives final‑year students two additional exam attempts, while excluding those in the internship stage. Faculty contracts are limited to two‑year terms up to age 75, and scholars from Turkish republics may obtain up to three years of leave, extendable to five under bilateral agreements. Individuals convicted of terrorism, homicide, serious felonies or forgery are barred from academic positions. Heavy penalties target ghost‑writing of theses, articles or projects, imposing fines and imprisonment of 5,000‑10,000 days, with possible revocation of degrees and dismissal. The amendment also caps tuition‑fee increases for private foundation universities at 25 % for non‑preparatory and non‑first‑year programmes in 2026‑27. The Higher Education Council (YÖK) issued a directive after numerous CİMER complaints, ordering universities to publish rates and stay within the limit. YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar reiterated the cap in a social‑media post and said the council will monitor compliance closely, reinforcing the government’s financial safeguards alongside the broader reform package. ## Claims - The bill permits university teaching staff who have reached the retirement age to continue working on two‑year contracts until the age of 75, subject to YÖK approval. (corroborated by 22 sources) - Final‑year students who have not completed all required courses receive two extra exam attempts for each failed or missed subject. (corroborated by 22 sources) - The bill imposes dismissal, fines and possible imprisonment for individuals who publish or facilitate plagiarised academic work. (corroborated by 22 sources) - The draft includes a security investigation and archive research requirement for university academic staff before appointment. (corroborated by 21 sources) - Faculty invited from Turkic republics and related communities receive up to three years of paid leave, extendable to five years for programs under international agreements. (corroborated by 21 sources) - The Turkish Grand National Assembly approved the student‑amnesty provision (article 15) of the Higher Education Law amendment. (corroborated by 19 sources) - The amendment allows students whose enrollment was terminated or who could not register to resume studies in the 2026‑2027 academic year. (corroborated by 19 sources) - The bill sets sanctions for foundation (vakıf) universities that cannot sustain finances, including revoking their operating licence and transferring students to a guarantor university. (corroborated by 19 sources) - Applicants must submit requests within four months of the law’s entry into force; military personnel have two months after discharge. (corroborated by 18 sources) - The student amnesty excludes persons convicted of terrorism, intentional homicide, serious felonies, or who used forged documents. (corroborated by 18 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-07-30: Turkey passes higher‑education amendment granting student amnesty, capping tuition hikes Turkey's parliament passed a higher‑education amendment granting a student amnesty, extra exam chances and heavy penalties for ghost‑writing, while YÖK ordered private universities to cap tuition hikes at 25 %. 49 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-parliament-approves-highereducation-reform-with-student-amnesty ### 2026-07-28: Turkey's parliament approves student amnesty and higher‑education reforms Turkey's parliament passed a bill amending the Higher Education Law that grants a student‑amnesty, adds extra exam rights, allows contract work for academics up to age 75, tightens plagiarism penalties and sets 43 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-parliament-debates-student-amnesty-and-highereducation-law-reforms ### 2026-07-25: Turkey's Parliament Bundle Law Triggers Academic Freedom and Pension Funding Concerns Turkey's bundle law faces pushback as TTB and Eğitim Sen demand removal of mandatory security checks for university staff, while a separate clause scraps the automatic state contribution to SGK, raising pension 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-parliament-bundle-law-triggers-academic-freedom-and-pension-funding-concerns ### 2026-07-18: Turkey's Parliament Pushes Minimum Pension Rise and Cybersecurity Overhaul Turkey's parliament proposes raising the minimum pension to 23,552 lira, establishing a Cyber Security Presidency, flexible work for student civil servants, and controversial security checks for universitystaff 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-parliament-advances-bill-for-flexible-hours-for-student-civil-servants ### 2026-07-16: Turkey expands student amnesty, keeps law faculty admission threshold at 125,000 Turkey's parliament broadened student amnesty to cover unfinished beneficiaries, while the Council of State kept the law faculty admission bar at 125,000 scores for 2026. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-expands-student-amnesty-keeps-law-faculty-admission-threshold-at-125000 ### 2026-07-13: Turkey's Parliament approves student amnesty and sweeping higher‑education reforms Turkey’s parliament committee approved a bill granting a student amnesty, extending retired professors’ contracts to age 75, tightening oversight of private universities, and adding penalties for academic fraud 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-parliament-reviews-student-pardon-and-foreign-student-reforms ### 2026-07-08: Turkey's Parliament Proposes Tougher Penalties for Fake Diplomas and University Amnesty Turkey's parliament proposes a 28‑article higher‑education law amendment, adding up to five‑year prison terms for fake diplomas, a university amnesty for eligible students, security checks for staff, and the p 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-parliament-proposes-tougher-penalties-for-fake-diplomas-and-university-amnesty ### 2026-07-07: Turkey's Parliament debates university pardon bill for 40,000 students Turkey's parliament is reviewing a draft law that would grant a university pardon to about 40,000 former students and introduce wide‑ranging higher‑education reforms. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/erzincan-binali-yldrm-university-hosts-13-international-students-for-turkish-language-summer-program ### 2026-07-02: Turkey Parliament to Review Student Amnesty Bill for University Dropouts Turkey's AK Party will present a student amnesty bill allowing university dropouts after July 2022 to re‑enter higher education, excluding those with serious criminal convictions. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-parliament-to-review-student-amnesty-bill-for-university-dropouts ### 2026-06-29: Turkey moves to restore university students dismissed since 2022 Turkey's parliament will consider a bill letting university students whose enrolment ended after July 2022 re‑enroll for 2026‑27, barring those convicted of serious crimes. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-moves-to-restore-university-students-dismissed-since-2022 ### 2026-06-20: Turkey university fake diploma scandal erupts amid widespread academic fraud Turkey’s higher‑education system faces a widespread fake‑diploma scandal, with dozens of professors stripped of titles and criticism of YÖK and university rectors for ongoing fraud. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-university-fake-diploma-scandal-erupts-amid-widespread-academic-fraud ### 2026-06-16: Turkey's Education Minister Yusuf Tekin Defends Enrollment Figures Amid Fake Diploma Probe Turkey's education minister Yusuf Tekin blamed a system change for lower secondary enrollment, while a CHP MP highlighted a probe into 419 fraudulent foreign diplomas across key professions. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-education-minister-yusuf-tekin-defends-enrollment-figures-amid-fake-diploma-probe ### 2026-06-15: Turkey voids 419 university enrollments over fraudulent foreign diplomas Turkey’s education ministry and YÖK cancelled the university enrolments and diplomas of 419 students who obtained fraudulent foreign high‑school equivalency certificates, a decision upheld by the Supreme Admin 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-voids-419-university-enrollments-over-fraudulent-foreign-diplomas ### 2026-06-07: Turkey expands student amnesty for former university students Turkey will broaden the 2022 student amnesty with a new amendment (Temporary Article 85) letting former university students re‑enroll in 2026‑27, excluding serious offenders and offering provisions for military 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-expands-student-amnesty-for-former-university-students --- Cite as: Turkey caps tuition hikes, grants student amnesty. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkey-higher-education-enrollment-reforms