ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Enrollment in private universities and institutes in the Kurdistan Region has declined by nearly 40 percent over the two years as the region has been suffering economically.
Hardi Mustafa was a second year student at Cihan University’s Media Department last year. He abandoned his studies during the first semester due to his financial hardships.
“I could not finish Media department due to financial crisis as I had to pay [$2500] per year. We had to pay our tuition fees by the end of the second semester in May and that I could not pay cash nor could through installments," said Mustafa.
In the Kurdistan Region, there are 25 private universities and institutes with 38,000 students, some of whom have still not paid tuition fees for their past two academic years, although financially underprivileged students get a 50 percent discount on their course.
Dr. Fuad Mawlood, chancellor of Cihan University explained that “some 100 students have been expelled from the university over the past year over various reasons. Generally, many of them were dismissed due to absences. But, there might have been students suffering financially and they just left their classes without letting us know about their situations. So, we dismissed them.”

These private academic institutions are experiencing a sharp drop in their enrollment.
According to figures produced by the Kurdish ministry of higher education, 13,000 students registered in private universities and institutes in 2015. This figure fell to 10,000 in 2016 and 8,000 in 2017.
The Kurdistan Region has been in a financial crisis for more than two years due to multiple factors: a budget freeze by Baghdad, fluctuating oil prices, an expensive war with ISIS, and the cost of accommodating refugees and internally displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict. This is aside from the Region’s political impasse among the ruling parties which has stagnated the economy and stalled attempts to reinvigorate it.
Hardi Mustafa was a second year student at Cihan University’s Media Department last year. He abandoned his studies during the first semester due to his financial hardships.
“I could not finish Media department due to financial crisis as I had to pay [$2500] per year. We had to pay our tuition fees by the end of the second semester in May and that I could not pay cash nor could through installments," said Mustafa.
In the Kurdistan Region, there are 25 private universities and institutes with 38,000 students, some of whom have still not paid tuition fees for their past two academic years, although financially underprivileged students get a 50 percent discount on their course.
Dr. Fuad Mawlood, chancellor of Cihan University explained that “some 100 students have been expelled from the university over the past year over various reasons. Generally, many of them were dismissed due to absences. But, there might have been students suffering financially and they just left their classes without letting us know about their situations. So, we dismissed them.”

These private academic institutions are experiencing a sharp drop in their enrollment.
According to figures produced by the Kurdish ministry of higher education, 13,000 students registered in private universities and institutes in 2015. This figure fell to 10,000 in 2016 and 8,000 in 2017.
The Kurdistan Region has been in a financial crisis for more than two years due to multiple factors: a budget freeze by Baghdad, fluctuating oil prices, an expensive war with ISIS, and the cost of accommodating refugees and internally displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict. This is aside from the Region’s political impasse among the ruling parties which has stagnated the economy and stalled attempts to reinvigorate it.
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