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Rabat – Morocco’s House of Representatives approved this week Draft Law No. 59.24 on higher education and scientific research, allowing public universities to offer paid academic programs within flexible-time basic education and continuing education.
Proposals to keep all basic education in public universities free, exempt employed master’s and PhD students from fees, limit accreditation to public or officially recognized institutions, and remove paid training from public universities were all rejected.
The law, following weeks of intense debate over several of its provisions, was adopted by a majority vote, with most of the government’s proposals remaining unchanged despite objections from the opposition.
The draft law passed through the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Culture, and Communication without major amendments. While opposition parties proposed several changes, the majority withdrew its own amendments, and the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Azzedine Midaoui, rejected those put forward by opposition lawmakers.
One of the most debated points of the law concerns access to master’s programs, particularly the organization of written and oral entrance exams and the issue of registration fees.
At the start of the academic year, universities applied different rules, with some maintaining entrance exams, others canceling them, and some adopting a single test. Article 81 of the new law aims to settle this issue by granting higher education institutions the right to organize fee-paying programs.
Under the new provisions, public universities are allowed to offer paid programs within basic education delivered at flexible times, as well as within continuing education. These flexible-time programs are designed mainly for public and private sector employees and for anyone wishing to pursue higher education alongside professional commitments.
Read also: Employees Now Forced to Pay for Degree Programs in Moroccan Universities
The law also clearly defines continuing education, stating that such programs must conclude with special certificates issued by the relevant university. These certificates must explicitly mention the phrase “Continuing Education” to distinguish them from standard academic degrees.
The law also introduces broader changes to the organization of higher education. It updates the general academic framework across all types of universities, establishes a language policy that respects Morocco’s two official languages while remaining open to foreign languages, and defines different types of university training. It also formally institutionalizes paid programs within flexible-time basic education and clarifies the legal status of continuing education certificates.
During parliamentary discussions, members of the Education Committee proposed several amendments. These included taking into account the financial situation of employed master’s and PhD students, whose salaries are often modest, and explicitly stating that all basic education in public universities should remain free and fully funded by the state.
Other proposals called for limiting national accreditation to public or officially recognized institutions and removing the provision that allows paid training inside public universities.
However, these proposals were ultimately rejected. Minister Midaoui acknowledged the difficult financial situation of working students but stressed that recognizing this reality does not mean exempting them from payment. He also referred to previous court rulings that canceled fees in some faculties, arguing that these decisions lacked a clear legal basis.
According to the minister, public-sector employees benefited from free education before entering the workforce and should therefore pay when they return to university studies. He added that while the amount of fees remains open for discussion, the legal principle allowing universities to charge them has now been formally approved.
