Imagine working all day, attending university in the evening and trying to build a better future.
Now imagine being told that continuing your education could cost you thousands of dirhams every year.
That’s the situation at the center of a growing debate in Morocco.
Working students and public-sector employees enrolled in university programmes with adapted schedules are protesting the fees associated with their studies.
The National Coordination of Civil Servants and Employees Subject to Adapted Study Schedules announced a new demonstration outside Parliament in Rabat for Thursday, October 22, at 11 AM.
The group is demanding changes to the fee system and greater access to public higher education.
How much are students being asked to pay ?
For the 2026–2027 academic year, working students enrolled in certain adapted-schedule programmes (formations à temps aménagé) at Moroccan public universities face reported annual tuition fees of:
5,000 MAD for a licence (bachelor’s degree).15,000 MAD for a master’s degree. 20,000 MAD for a doctorate.
These amounts concern specific programmes designed for working students and public-sector employees. They are not general tuition fees imposed on all students attending Moroccan public universities. Fees and conditions may also vary depending on the institution and programme.
For someone already paying rent, transportation costs and daily expenses, those figures can represent a serious financial commitment.
And the controversy isn’t only about the money.
Representatives of the affected students argue that some universities are directing employed applicants into paid adapted-schedule programmes, even when they believe they should have access to ordinary study options.
These claims have been reported by Moroccan media, although practices can differ between institutions.
Shouldn’t working and studying be encouraged?
That’s one of the questions at the center of the debate.
Returning to university while employed can help people change careers, develop new skills or gain qualifications they couldn’t pursue earlier.
But access to education also involves practical challenges.
Balancing working hours, exams, commuting and family responsibilities is already demanding.
Adding substantial tuition costs can make that balance even harder.
The student coordination is calling for changes to the system, while the broader discussion raises questions about how public universities should accommodate working adults.
The dispute remains unresolved.
And for the students involved, the issue is bigger than one protest.
It’s about whether continuing your education should become more difficult once you’ve started working.
