TRNC Students to Enjoy Tuition-Free Education at Turkish State Universities
TRNC students exempt from tuition fees in Türkiye state universities starting 2024-2025, per YÖK President Dr. Erol Özvar.
Prof. Dr. Erol Ozvar, President of the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK), provided insights into the recent decision to exempt students from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from tuition fees, as announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day ceremonies.
In his address at the event on Dr. Fazil Küçük Boulevard, Erdoğan stated, “As of July, we have decided that students who are citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be subject to the same principles as students who are citizens of the Republic of Türkiye regarding contribution and tuition fees.”
In a subsequent social media post, Özvar confirmed that TRNC students would be treated similarly to Turkish citizens concerning tuition fees. He highlighted that this decision was made with the backing of President Erdoğan and referenced the addition of the 9th paragraph to the 3rd article of the “Decision on the Determination of Contribution Shares and Tuition Fees for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.”
YÖK President Özvar emphasized that the newly added paragraph specifies that TRNC students enrolling in state universities through international student quotas will not incur any tuition fees.
He noted that the Higher Education Executive Board approved this provision on September 13, 2023, with implementation set to begin in the 2024-2025 academic year. Furthermore, the 6th paragraph of the 1st article of the Decree clarifies that TRNC citizens who gain admission to state universities via the ÖSYM central placement exam will continue to be exempt from fees, consistent with previous years.
Consequently, all TRNC students who have completed their secondary education in the TRNC and enrolled in state universities—whether through the YÖS or YKS exams—will not be required to pay any fees during their program. However, students extending their studies beyond the prescribed duration or enrolling in a second university will be responsible for a contribution fee.
