Yemen: Government approves unifying fees in public universities

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: The Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Universities, Salem Saleh bin Bureik, issued Decree No. (18) of 2025, concerning the unification and determination of annual university fees for students in Yemeni public universities, including tuition fees, special expenses fees, and postgraduate studies fees. Article One of the decree stipulated the unification of general tuition fees, university study fees, special expenses fees, and postgraduate studies fees in all Yemeni public universities, according to the proposal submitted by the ministerial committee tasked with studying and unifying fee categories, chaired by the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, Technical Education, and Vocational Training, as detailed in Annex No. (1) of the decree. Article Two emphasized that the legally prescribed fees in the Yemeni Universities Law and its executive regulations should not be violated, and all universities are prohibited from imposing any additional fees or creating new fees outside the unified framework. It is also prohibited to collect fees from Yemeni students in any foreign currency. Article Three obligated public universities to officially and transparently publish the unified fees on their websites and bulletin boards, and to provide the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with a certified copy of the fee schedules within one week from the date of the decree's issuance. The decree also stipulated that the Ministry of Higher Education must follow up to ensure that private and non-governmental universities do not collect tuition fees from Yemeni students in foreign currency. According to Article Five, the university president or his designee may grant a reduction or full or partial exemption from special expenses fees or postgraduate studies fees for academically outstanding students or in compelling humanitarian, social, and financial cases, according to objective criteria adopted by the university. The decree tasked the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with monitoring implementation and coordinating with universities to ensure compliance, and submitting periodic reports to the Council of Ministers on the level of implementation and any violations. The Minister was also tasked with coordinating with university presidents and the Ministry of Finance to prepare a unified financial regulation to organize the universities' self-generated resources and their uses, and to submit it to the Prime Minister for approval. Article Eight stipulated the cancellation of any provisions that contradict the provisions of this decree, and it shall be effective from the date of its issuance, provided that the fees are considered temporary and will be reviewed if the exchange rates of the national currency improve or as circumstances require, based on the directives of the Prime Minister.