Last Chance for 'Eternal' Students in Greece

A final 'window' for completing studies has opened for students who have exceeded the maximum study period in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). With a regulation passed last Friday, the Ministry of Education is establishing a last chance mechanism.

The Minister of Education, Sofia Zaharaki, stated that the regulation recognizes the effort of students and invests in educational capital, while setting a clear limit.

The new regulation stipulates that students who have completed 70% of the courses or credit units and have participated in exams at least twice in the last two years will have the opportunity to complete their studies within two additional semesters, upon application.

People with disabilities exceeding 50% are excluded from deletion, while exceeding the maximum study period is provided for serious health reasons. Also, part-time attendance applies to parents of children up to 8 years old, employees, and athletes with an intensive program.

According to the National Authority for Higher Education (ETHAAE), during the academic year 2023-24, non-active students amounted to 351,758. The Ministry of Education estimates that approximately 290,000 inactive students will be removed from the registers in September.

The Maximum Study Period was established by Law 4957/2022, while similar efforts had been made in the past, such as with the Yannakou (2007) and Diamantopoulou (2011) laws.

Source: APE-MPE