The Council of Higher Education has established the procedures and guidelines regarding the process for students eligible for the “student amnesty” regulation to return to universities. Students whose enrollment at their universities has been terminated or who were unable to enroll in the program they were admitted to will be able to apply until December 9, 2026. Students benefiting from this regulation will be able to resume their higher education in the 2026–2027 academic year.

The Council of Higher Education has established the procedures and principles governing the process for students eligible for the regulation—commonly referred to in the public sphere as the “student amnesty”—to return to universities.

Under Provisional Article 85, added to the Higher Education Law No. 2547 by Law No. 7592, which was published in the Official Gazette on August 9, 2026, and entered into force, students whose enrollment was terminated and those who were admitted to a higher education program but were unable to register are now granted the opportunity to return to higher education.

Those wishing to benefit from this regulation may apply to the higher education institution from which they were dismissed or to which they were admitted by December 9, 2026. Students whose applications are accepted will be able to begin their studies in the 2026–2027 academic year.

Covers programs from associate’s to doctoral degrees

The regulation covers students whose enrollment was terminated from adjustment classes, associate degree programs, bachelor’s completion programs, bachelor’s degree programs, and graduate programs. Those who were admitted to a higher education program but did not enroll will also be eligible to benefit from the regulation if they apply within the specified timeframe.

Additional opportunities have been provided under certain conditions for those unable to apply by December 9 due to force majeure. These individuals may apply within one month of the force majeure circumstance ceasing. Those who were unable to apply within the specified timeframe due to health reasons will be required to submit a medical board report to that effect by the end of business hours on December 9, 2026.

Who is ineligible?

The Council of Higher Education has also identified groups excluded from the scope of the regulation.

Those convicted of crimes listed in the regulation—such as terrorism, intentional homicide, torture, cruel treatment, sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, and the manufacture and trafficking of narcotics or stimulants—will not be eligible for the student amnesty.

Those whose enrollment was revoked due to forged documents or who submitted forged documents during enrollment, as well as other exceptions specified in the legislation, will also be excluded from the scope of the regulation. Those whose ties with the university were severed on the grounds that they enrolled through legally invalid means will also not be eligible for the regulation.

Provisions Have Been Made for Students in Discontinued Programs

The Higher Education Council has also determined how students whose enrollment has been terminated from programs where student admissions have been suspended or that have been completely closed will continue their education.

Students in closed evening programs who do not have a specific semester or class assigned may continue their education in the corresponding daytime program. Students whose programs were closed later and who were previously admitted but did not enroll may be transferred to equivalent programs by their universities’ authorized bodies, provided they meet the minimum score requirement for the year of enrollment.

Provisions regarding dual-major students have also been established. Students whose dual-major enrollment was terminated due to being dismissed from their primary major, as well as those whose dual-major enrollment was terminated after graduating from their primary major, will be able to reapply.

Those who meet the requirements may apply for lateral transfer

Students returning to their universities under this regulation who meet the required central placement score for the academic year in which they are enrolling may apply for a lateral transfer to equivalent or different degree programs.

Horizontal transfers to full-time programs under this scope will be carried out during the 2026–2027 academic year. Students who regain student status under this regulation are also granted the opportunity to transfer to equivalent open education programs at Anadolu, Ankara, Atatürk, and Istanbul Universities.

No tuition fees will be charged for previous years

The recognition of courses previously successfully completed by students and the conditions for continuing their education will be determined by the relevant university councils. The maximum duration of study for students returning under this regulation will begin on the date they re-enroll.

Students resuming their studies in the 2026–2027 academic year will not be required to pay any contribution fees or tuition for the years prior to their re-enrollment date. Any applicable contribution fee and tuition regulations for the 2026–2027 academic year will be applied to these students.

“Our students and their future are at the heart of our higher education system”

Erol Özvar, Chairman of the Higher Education Council, stated that students and their future are at the heart of the higher education system, adding, “We consider it extremely valuable for our young people, who were unable to continue their higher education for various reasons, to be able to return to their educational lives and fulfill their unfulfilled dreams.” he said.

Özvar added, “With this new regulation, students who meet the conditions specified in the law have been provided a new opportunity to return to their universities. Students who lost their right to study or had their registration canceled within four months of the regulation’s entry into force will also be able to benefit from this right. This will prevent new cases of hardship from arising during the implementation process.”

Emphasizing that the Higher Education Council, in collaboration with universities, will ensure the process is conducted in a transparent, understandable, and student-centered manner, Özvar noted that they have established procedures and principles to address any uncertainties students may face during the application and readmission processes and to ensure consistency in implementation.

Özvar said, “For us, every student’s effort, experience, and future is valuable. We hope that the students for whom we have reopened the doors of our universities will complete their education and contribute to our country’s production, development, and future. We view this regulation not merely as an amnesty but as an opportunity for our young people to rebuild their futures.”

Students wishing to benefit from the amnesty must apply to the higher education institutions where they were enrolled or from which their enrollment was terminated by December 9, 2026. The procedures and principles regarding this regulation can be found at https://egitim.yok.gov.tr/documentFiles/17866061441.7592-sayili_kanun-2547-sayili-kanunun-madde-85-usul-ve-esaslari.pdf.