Education Ministry: 335,000 “Eternal Students” to be removed – How the process will work
The Ministry of Education will begin removing the first so-called “eternal students” this December, Deputy Education Minister Nikos Papaioannou announced.
“The law passed at the end of July is now being implemented—not as a rigid measure, but with social sensitivity and respect for students who genuinely wish to complete their studies,” Papaioannou said.
The Process
After the September exam period, clarifications will be issued on which students may receive an extension of one year or three semesters.
Students who do not qualify will be included in a unified list, prepared by each department and faculty, and submitted to the Ministry of Education by the end of December.
Universities will maintain autonomy regarding the timing, based on when exam results are released.
A short appeal period will be available for students before final deletions take effect.
Scale of the Issue
According to Papaioannou, there were about 335,000 inactive students in Greek universities as of the June 2025 exam session. He emphasized that the measure is not punitive but intended as a rationalization of the higher education system.
