On Saturday, December 20, 2025, University of Tehran students successfully convened a rally despite a restrictive security atmosphere, once again projecting the university's grievances to the broader public. The protest was catalyzed by the administration’s recent move to strip housing eligibility from Master’s students in their 6th semester and Bachelor’s/PhD students in their 10th semester.
The organizers released a statement detailing the systematic withdrawal of student welfare services and the university's shift toward "monetization" policies. The statement highlights the following key grievances:
Housing as an Inalienable Student Right:
Providing housing and ensuring the psychological well-being of students is a fundamental obligation of both the university and the government. No student should be plagued by the anxiety of homelessness while navigating the rigors of research and dissertation writing. Reducing the "right to housing" to a "discretionary privilege" is an affront to the dignity of students who secured their admission through merit and hard work.
Obstruction of Student Grievances:
Exercising our legal rights, we have repeatedly channeled these demands through the Student Union. However, we have consistently encountered administrative stonewalling, vague responses, and institutional barriers. These tactics reflect a blatant disregard for the student voice and a calculated attempt to marginalize the university’s elected student bodies.
The Incremental Erosion of Rights:
History shows that revoking housing for even-numbered semesters is merely the thin end of the wedge. We are acutely aware that this trend will soon encompass the 5th semester and beyond under the guise of "capacity constraints." This selective housing policy is a calculated strategy for the gradual liquidation of the university’s social and welfare responsibilities.
The Dismantling of Public Education:
These measures are part of a broader trajectory: the commodification of education. When a university abdicates its responsibility to meet basic student needs, it effectively makes public higher education a prerogative of the affluent. This trend marks the beginning of the end for the public university, threatening to transform it into an elite institution where education is bought, not earned.
In conclusion, we, the students of the University of Tehran, declare that we will persist in our advocacy until the right to housing is formally reinstated and our demands receive a transparent, substantive response. The University of Tehran must remain a home for all its students, regardless of their financial status.