Shafaq News- Baghdad

A decision by Iraq's previous government to reduce tuition fee discounts for newly admitted students in the country's parallel and international higher education programs has triggered growing calls for the measure to be reversed, with students and parents warning that higher costs could put university education beyond the reach of many families.

The decision reduces the tuition discount for students admitted in the 2025-2026 academic year to 30%, down from 50%, across all colleges and disciplines. Students already enrolled in previous academic years will continue receiving the 50% discount.

The administration of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also removed tuition discounts previously granted to high-achieving students, drawing criticism from families who maintain that the changes place additional financial pressure on households already struggling to cover higher education costs.

Shafaq News has published campaign posters and comparison tables circulated online showing the difference in tuition fees under both discount systems.

"The decision is unfair," doctoral student Mohammed Hassan Ali told Shafaq News, arguing that it fails to account for students with outstanding academic records or the significantly higher costs of disciplines such as medicine and engineering.

Students already shoulder tuition fees and other educational expenses amid difficult economic conditions, he noted, while those pursuing degrees abroad continue their studies despite regional security challenges and should receive greater support rather than face higher costs.

Sharing similar concerns, Mustafa Al-Qara Ghouli, a master's student in engineering accepted to a university in Lebanon, maintained that countries invest in education by making it more accessible, while Iraq's parallel education system is moving in the opposite direction.

Warning that the reduced discount could discourage some newly admitted students from pursuing postgraduate studies due to rising costs, he challenged the reasoning behind the decision.

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The financial burden extends beyond students themselves. Mahannad Qasim, whose two children are enrolled in medical colleges through the parallel education system, explained that both narrowly missed admission to tuition-free public education by less than half a grade, leaving the family with little choice but to pay parallel education fees.

He recalled that previous government decisions offered additional tuition reductions to families with more than one child enrolled in the parallel education system, alongside incentives for academically outstanding students. “Those benefits have now been removed,” he observed.

For Abbas Radi, whose son recently secured admission to an international university, the decision overshadowed what had been a moment of celebration. His family cannot absorb the increase in tuition fees, urging authorities to restore the previous 50% discount.

The impact is expected to be even greater for students planning to study abroad. Postgraduate studies in Iran, for example, cost more than $5,000 on average before accommodation, travel, living expenses, and research costs are taken into account.

Salma Al-Hassani, a master's student, informed Shafaq News that she and several classmates decided not to enroll at the university where they had been accepted to pursue graduate studies in history after calculating the additional financial burden resulting from the reduced tuition discount.

The backlash has since spread beyond university campuses, with students and parents launching a social media campaign calling for the previous discount to be restored. Participants in the campaign maintain that rising tuition costs are forcing some students to borrow money or work while studying, while others may abandon university despite narrowly missing the grades required for tuition-free admission.

The growing pressure has also reached parliament. Lawmaker Burhan Al-Mamouri disclosed that Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Abdul Hussein Al-Mousawi had approved a request to restore the previous 50% tuition discount for both domestic parallel education and international study programs.

“The request was submitted on behalf of a group of students and parents,” he added, noting that any change must first secure approval from the Ministry of Higher Education's Council of Opinion before being referred to the Council of Ministers for a final decision.

Shafaq News was unable to obtain additional official comment from the ministry on the proposal, as it currently has no official spokesperson or authorized official available to respond, while the position of minister remains vacant.

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