With the start of the early enrollment period, private schools have started to announce their fees for the 2024-2025 academic year, and the issue of whether the high increase rates announced are in accordance with the law has become a subject of debate. In this article, we will examine how private school tuition fees are determined, the legal limit of the increase rates and the legal remedies that can be applied against the announced fees.
1. DETERMINATION OF TUITION FEES
Article 13 of the Law No. 5580 on Private Education Institutions (“Law“) stipulates that tuition and other fees shall be determined by the institutions each year and announced in May at the latest. The Ministry of National Education Regulation on Private Education Institutions (“Regulation“) sets out the maximum rate of increase in the tuition fees of intermediate classes and students attending the school as follows:
- Fees for intermediate classes: The fee announced in the previous academic year cannot be increased by more than [(average PPI of the previous year + average CPI of the previous year)/2] + 5.
- Fees for students continuing at the school: The fee set in the student enrollment contract cannot be increased by more than [(average PPI of the previous year + average CPI of the previous year)/2] + 5.
According to this formula, the maximum rate of increase in tuition fees for the 2024-2025 academic year is calculated as 56.89%. All increases above this rate will be in violation of the legislation.
It is important to note that the above-mentioned maximum rate of increase (56.89%) applies to intermediate grades and students continuing at the school. There is no limit on the rate of increase in the initial grades for pre-school, primary, middle and high school.
2. DETERMINATION OF OTHER FEES
Apart from tuition fees, the fees that institutions will charge students for meals, breakfasts, services, boarding/boarding houses, books, stationery, clothing, study and similar services should be determined separately until the end of May, each year. However, there is no limit to the rate of increase for these services.
However, students and trainees cannot be charged under any name, including donation and aid, other than those specified in the Regulation. In this respect, it is against the legislation to charge students under various names, including donation and aid, in addition to the above-mentioned payments (tuition fees, meals, breakfast, shuttle service, boarding/housing, books, stationery, study and similar services).
3. WAYS OF APPEAL
Those who wish to object to the increase above the legal rate or who have made payments under various names to the private school in violation of the legislation, may apply:
- to the Provincial or District Consumer Arbitration Committees in the place of residence or private school for disputes under TRY 104.000,
- to the Consumer Court in the place of residence or private school for disputes of TRY 104.000 and above. Mediation should be applied before filing a lawsuit before the Consumer Court.
You may contact us if you have any questions regarding the above issues.