[REVISION HISTORY]

Turkey education and student living cost surge

Updated 30 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-21 13:22 UTC → 2026-09-30 07:02 UTC · added ~~removed~~

As the 2026–2027 academic year progresses, Turkish university students face intensifying economic ~~pressures.~~ pressures and deteriorating living conditions. While the Ministry of Youth and Sports (GSB) has set the KYK monthly base fee at 1,590 TL, ~~new reports indicate significant food insecurity. Administrative~~ administrative delays in ~~the tender process for~~ cafeteria ~~and canteen services at state-run KYK dormitories~~ tenders have left many students without meal access at the start of the term. Hygiene concerns have escalated in state-run housing. At the Berrin Menderes Girls' Dormitory in Aydın, students reported finding worms and insects in their meals. Students expressed distress, noting that they often rely on limited supplies like biscuits or simit to avoid contaminated food because economic constraints prevent them from eating elsewhere. This follows a January incident where approximately 20 students were hospitalized for food poisoning. In Istanbul, students at Istanbul University have staged protests against soaring meal ~~costs. Following a recent 34.62% hike that brought a single meal to 70 TL, protesters claim~~ costs, claiming total price increases have reached 180% within one year. ~~Students~~ Protesters are demanding free, high-quality nutrition, arguing that current ~~meal prices and~~ scholarship amounts are ~~insufficient to meet basic needs.~~ insufficient. To mitigate economic strain, the government continues various social support initiatives. The Ministry of Family and Social Services reported that 18,334 young people received 2.076 billion lira through the Family and Youth Fund to support marriage and family formation. This ~~fund, financed by underground resources,~~ fund offers interest-free loans of up to 250,000 lira for couples aged 18-25 and 200,000 lira for those aged ~~26-29, featuring a 48-month term with a two-year grace period.~~ 26-29. Additionally, the ministry provides childbirth incentives ~~for childbirth, including debt grants~~ and birth assistance, such as the 26.8 million lira distributed in Erzurum for ~~families with one or more children.~~ July 2026. Employment ~~and education~~ programs also remain ~~active.~~ active, including İŞKUR’s Youth ~~Program continues to offer university~~ Program, which offers students 1,375 TL per day for campus-based work experience. These measures coincide with a broader policy shift toward active employment, where able-bodied social assistance recipients aged 18-55 risk losing benefits if they refuse valid job or training offers. work.

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