Some students from Afghanistan studying at Yazd University in Iran are expressing concern over rising tuition and dormitory costs. They say the university has failed to honor the promises made at the time their scholarships were granted, and has since increased fees across various departments. The students emphasize that paying these costs through to the end of their studies is not feasible, and this situation has left them deeply worried about whether they can continue their education. According to these students, some of them received 50 percent scholarships while others received 70 percent scholarships. They are asking Yazd University to consider the economic conditions and unemployment in Afghanistan, to honor its commitments, and to ensure that these students are not deprived of the opportunity to complete their education. The students also say that a number of them had returned to Afghanistan during the Iran-U.S. war upon the recommendation of their universities, but are now facing serious difficulties and heavy penalties upon their return. Yazd University had previously announced that female students who had been deprived of education due to Taliban restrictions would be admitted at a 50 percent discount on tuition fees, but updated details on this matter are no longer available on the university’s website.
One of these students says: “I enrolled at this university through a scholarship in 2023, and now, entering our third academic year, we are witnessing broken promises by university officials. When they granted us the scholarship, they promised that fees would not change and that four-person dormitory rooms would be allocated for international students. However, there are no longer any premium or four-person dormitory rooms.”
The student adds: “The cost of living at the university increases day by day. When I enrolled with a 50 percent discount, I initially paid only 2,100 Afghanis per semester for tuition, 290 Afghanis for the dormitory, and a maximum of 10 Afghanis per day for three meals. Now, however, I have been burdened with exorbitant costs and must pay 9,000 Afghanis per semester for tuition, 4,500 Afghanis for the dormitory, and up to 75 Afghanis or more per day for three meals. Paying all these expenses is extremely burdensome for me as a student.”
The students emphasize that they had been promised discounts on tuition, but these discounts are no longer being applied, and costs have risen. They say that tuition has increased for all students, and in some fields of study the costs have multiplied several times over.
Another student, who asked for anonymity in this report, says: “We came to this university through scholarships and with discounts. Previously, the discounts were honored, but now they have largely disappeared. I pay between 3,000 and 4,000 Afghanis for the dormitory and between 14,000 and 15,000 Afghanis per semester for tuition. The cost of meals has also increased.”
This student adds that visa problems are also a serious concern. Students who returned to Afghanistan and whose visas subsequently expired are now facing heavy fines at the border when attempting to return to Iran. According to the student, the university had promised foreign students during the Iran-U.S. war that visas would be arranged for them once conditions improved so they could return to Iran.
These students also state that they previously lived in the “Shahid Avini” dormitory, which, by their account, had adequate facilities and suitable conditions. However, they have now been relocated to the “Elm-ol-Hoda” dormitory, which has very limited facilities and unsuitable room conditions. They say that in some rooms up to eight people are living together, a situation that is not conducive to studying or academic performance for any student.
The students say the university cites Iran’s economic situation as the justification for the fee increases, even though they accepted their scholarships on the basis of the university’s assurances that conditions would remain stable. They are now unable to pay the increased costs.
This comes even though Yazd University has fully outlined the details regarding student admission and accommodation in its dormitory allocation terms, stating that students applying for dormitory accommodation are required to pay the dormitory rent in cash at the beginning of each semester.
Yazd University is one of Iran’s public universities, located in the city of Yazd. It admits students across various academic disciplines and, in addition to Iranian students, also hosts international students.
The university had previously announced that female students who had been excluded from education and had ranked at the top of the university entrance examinations would be admitted from the first semester of the 2023 academic year at a maximum discount of 50 percent on tuition fees.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
از وعده بورسیه تا افزایش هزینهها؛ دانشجویان افغانستان در دانشگاه یزد چه میگویند؟
