Ministry of Education Issues Directives on University Admissions, Placements, and Transfers

The Ethiopian Ministry of Education has issued a comprehensive directive to ensure transparent, fair, and accountable practices for student admissions, field placements, and transfers across all public universities. Under the new circular, universities are prohibited from independently admitting unassigned students or altering institutional placements. Field assignment evaluations will strictly combine first-year grade averages, Grade 12 national exam scores, and student preferences, while incorporating a standard 5-point affirmative action bonus for female students and students with disabilities. Inter-university transfers require mutual institutional agreement, notification to the ministry, and are restricted to students who have completed at least one semester with a minimum GPA of 2.00 without academic or disciplinary faults. While transfers from public to private higher education institutions are permitted under specific criteria, transfers from private institutions to public universities remain strictly forbidden. Additionally, any emergency or security-driven group transfers must be directed to and decided by the Ministry of Education rather than handled locally by universities.