The deep economic crisis in Turkey also hit education. Especially private schools want to put the increasing costs on the students. Up to 200 percent hike in annual tuition price increases in private universities made students revolt. Beykent and Doğuş University students protested due to the high price hikes in annual tuition fees. Beykent and Doğuş University students, who started to seek their rights through social media, stated that the university has committed to limit the annual tuition price increases by 5 percent, but at this point, they have made an increase of 200 percent in violation of the contract. It was underlined that the price increases were not reflected equally to everyone, and it was emphasized that the hikes were made in an ambiguous manner. Beykent and Doğuş University students, who did not give names for fear of affecting their education life, made special statements to the Milli Gazete on the subject.
“PHONES ARE TURNED OFF TO US”
Doğuş University Psychology Department student, who did not want to give name, stated that there was still no explanation from the authorities, and said, “In 2019, they mentioned a raise of 5 percent in both the advertising statements and the contract made by the university, and they made a commitment to this. They kept that promise until last year. While the wage I paid last year was 18 thousand Turkish Liras (TL), this year 55 thousand TL is asked from me. I am a 50 percent scholarship student. Many of the students came in with the promise of this 5 percent increase. In the past years, they promised a raise that would not exceed 10 percent, but the raises exceeding 100 percent were applied. There is still no response from the authorities. We called on the phones, the phones were turned off in our faces. There is only one explanation, and that is as follows; ‘We have followed such a path in terms of sustainability due to the inflation rate of our country.’ However, you know that the official inflation rate in our country is 78 percent, and the increase made by the school is over 100 percent. Why do they make promises they can't keep? We made the necessary complaint to Presidental Communication Center (CIMER). If the school doesn't step back, we will file a class action lawsuit.”
“250 PERCENT RISE MADE”
A student of the Department of Psychology at Beykent University, who did not want to give name, underlined that the rate of increase is against the contract, and said, "The tuition fee increase will not exceed 5 percent during the time you study is read on the billboards, the school's posters, the brochures distributed by the school itself, and in our contract signed before registration in the year I registered. There was a written article. All students signed up with the promise of 5 percent. They kept their promise in the first year. There was not much increase in wages for 3 years. But my salary, which was 11 thousand 400 TL, became 40 thousand TL this year. As the promise was not kept, a 250 percent increase was made. As the justification for the increase, a reason such as ‘unforeseen reasons’ was presented. According to the conditions written in our contract, they cannot make this increase. It is against the law. We want this hike rate, which does not comply with the contract, to be withdrawn. We will initiate all kinds of legal processes related to this issue and we will follow up.”
"I RELIED ON 5 PERCENT COMMITMENT”
The student of the Department of Psychology at Beykent University, who did not want to be named, emphasized that he trusted the school’s commitment of "The increase in tuition fees will not exceed 5 percent per year during your education" and said, “I trusted the commitment of 5 percent. I fell for the university's advertisements. While they paid 30 thousand TL last year, now they want 105 thousand TL in cash and 117 thousand TL in installments. Where is 30 thousand TL, where is 117 thousand TL? Now they want me to pay the total fee I paid in 3 years in 1 year. A hike of around 205 to 210 percent was made. They gave some 70 percent, 100 percent, some 50 percent raises. Even the raises were not evenly reflected. They should not give us a numerical perception by reducing it back to 70 percent or 100 percent after making an increase of more than 200 percent. They should not think that we will throw the 5 percent commitment aside. We are united as students.”