فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Oujda – December 3, 2025
The Oujda Administrative Court issued an urgent ruling this Tuesday morning ordering the suspension of the decision issued by the Council of Mohammed First University in Oujda, which imposed additional financial fees on doctoral program students who are employed.
Under this judicial ruling, the affected employee-researchers have the right to continue their doctoral studies without paying any additional fees and without any administrative or academic disruption, pending a final ruling on the merits of the case.
Background of the University Decision and the Appeal Against It
The Council of Mohammed First University had approved in a previous session a decision requiring employees wishing to enroll or re-enroll in doctoral programs to pay annual financial fees, considering that they are “not covered by free higher education” due to their professional status.
This decision sparked a wave of widespread protest inside and outside the university, with student coordinating bodies and education unions considering it “an explicit blow to the principle of free higher education” and “an obstacle to equal opportunities” among researchers.
Several employee-researchers immediately filed urgent lawsuits before the Oujda Administrative Court, demanding suspension of the decision’s implementation due to the “serious and immediate harm” it causes.
Implications of the Ruling for Other Moroccan Universities
The Oujda Administrative Court’s ruling comes at a time when several Moroccan universities (Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, Casablanca, Tetouan…) are witnessing ongoing protests by doctoral students rejecting similar decisions taken by the councils of some university institutions.
Observers believe that this judicial ruling will open the door to dozens of similar lawsuits in other regions, and may push the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation to unify the national position and issue clear instructions to resolve the debate over free doctoral programs for all categories.
Initial Reactions
Many national coordinating bodies for doctoral students welcomed this ruling and considered it “a preliminary victory for the principle of free higher education.”
On the other hand, no official comment has yet been issued from the presidency of Mohammed First University or from the supervising ministry.
