Controversy surrounds quotas for mature female students

Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education or YÖK has recently sparked heated debates by allocating more than 20,000 quotas in associate and undergraduate programmes specifically for women over the age of 34 who have not previously received an undergraduate education, reports Hurriyet Daily News.

While this initiative aimed to provide educational opportunities for women who have not had a chance to pursue higher education earlier in life, the outcome has led to considerable controversy.

Over 17,600 women have benefited from these newly allocated quotas, but the controversy centres around the placement results. Many women over the age of 34 were able to secure spots in prestigious universities, such as Bogazici University and Middle East Technical University, despite having lower entrance exam scores than traditional undergraduate applicants.
Full report on the Hurriyet Daily News site