US sanctions threaten to crush Iranian students' dreams
SHE had planned to study psychology in Italy, but after United States sanctions forced the suspension of an English exam required in order to make her dream come true, Iranian student Nikki cried for days.
Iranian student Nikki had dreamed of studying psychology in Italy. However, the United States' recent sanctions forced the suspension of the TOEFL English proficiency test, which Nikki needed to take in order to pursue her dream. This exam is a crucial requirement for many foreign universities, and its cancellation has left Nikki and other Iranian students in a difficult position.
They are now struggling to find alternative ways to take the test, while also bearing the additional costs associated with travel and fees. The US Treasury's decision to stop issuing licenses for the TOEFL exams has forced ETS, the testing service that administers it, to suspend the exams altogether. Alternatives such as the PTE English proficiency test and the Duolingo online exam have also been suspended.
For many Iranians, taking the exams abroad is not a feasible option due to financial constraints and the soaring value of the Iranian rial. Students are scrambling to find the cheapest and quickest alternatives, with some suggesting travel to neighboring countries like Armenia, Iraq, or Turkiye. Iranian officials have condemned the US sanctions, calling them "Stone Age" behavior.
For Leila, a 32-year-old resident of Tehran, the news of the cancelled exams is another setback after she had secured a place in a graduate arts program in Berlin this summer. She acknowledged the sheer despair among Iranians hoping to study abroad, and said that she would likely pursue further education within Iran instead.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
