Rise is transfers putting strain on bigger universities

Looser regulations governing student transfers between universities introduced under the previous leftist-led government have resulted in a steady rise in first-year student populations, putting a strain on resources at Greece's most popular universities.

Figures show a steep increase in transfers over the past four years, to 10,130 in the 2019-20 academic year, from 8,982 in 2018-19, 7,574 in 2017-18 and 7,258 in the 2016-17 academic year.

The University of Athens, which had admitted 7,836 new students for the current academic year, saw its first-year student body boosted by an additional 1,600 transfers.

Similarly, the National Technical University of Athens added 410 students to its initial first-year intake of 1,256 - an increase of 33 percent - while the Athens University of Economics and Business saw its first-year student population grow 25 percent with...

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