US sanctions suspend TOEFL and GRE testing in Iran, disrupting students' study abroad plans

Iranian students hoping to study abroad are facing a new obstacle after TOEFL and GRE testing was suspended inside the country following changes to US sanctions regulations.

"My entire plan was built around taking this exam," a TOEFL candidate in Tehran told DW.

She said she had spent months preparing applications for a PhD program, contacting professors and gathering documents despite internet disruptions and other challenges.

ETS, the US-based organization that administers both exams, announced it suspended testing in Iran after the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) froze General License G, which had allowed certain educational services to continue in Iran.

"Following OFAC's suspension of General License G, ETS has paused administration of the TOEFL and GRE tests in Iran effective immediately," the organization said in an official notice.

ETS added that Iranian nationals can still take the exams outside Iran and that it is exploring options to restore testing.

TOEFL is a US-based English-language proficiency test accepted by universities worldwide. The GRE is a standardized test required by some graduate programs, particularly in the United States and Canada.

Since the Iran war began in late February, the US has increasingly expanded sanctions targeting Iranian trade and exports, contributing to broader disruptions throughout the Iranian economy.

No timeline for testing to resume

An Iranian institution that administered TOEFL exams told DW that new registrations had stopped following the latest sanctions changes.

The institution added that the suspension could be temporary, but no date had been given for exams to resume.

That uncertainty is particularly serious for students approaching university and scholarship deadlines who have spent months preparing and paying application-related costs.

The suspension follows earlier problems with IELTS (British equivalent of TOEFL) testing in Iran. An IELTS center in Tehran told DW that sanctions-related difficulties transferring money had become one of the main obstacles to continuing exams.

Some Iranian applicants had already been traveling to countries such as Turkey and Armenia to take IELTS. TOEFL and GRE candidates may now have to do the same.

Rising costs for applicants

Alireza, who is preparing to apply to a university in Italy, said the suspension of TOEFL had disrupted a backup plan he had arranged after IELTS testing became unavailable.

"European universities usually accept IELTS. But because IELTS has been suspended in Iran, after extensive correspondence with the university, they agreed to let [Iranian students] meet the required score through an equivalent TOEFL result," he told DW.

"But now TOEFL has also been suspended in Iran. Traveling to a neighboring country just to take the exam is very expensive, especially given Iran's current economic situation," added Alireza.

Another candidate told DW that taking the exam in Turkey or Armenia would mean paying for travel and at least one night's accommodation on top of the test fee.

For students hoping to secure scholarships or full funding, those additional expenses can be significant.

Students launch petition

Iranian TOEFL and GRE candidates have launched an online petition urging ETS to restore access to the exams.

The petition says thousands of students are losing access to tests required for university admissions, scholarships, graduate programs and other academic opportunities. Many, it says, have spent months preparing, paid exam-related costs and built their application schedules around specific test dates.

"Students should not lose years of preparation or their chance to pursue higher education because access to required examinations has suddenly been removed," the petition states.

Narges, an Iranian applicant affected by the suspension, said she had seen the petition circulating in Telegram groups used by language learners and students applying to foreign universities.

"I doubt it will have any impact," she said. "Still, I'm going to sign the petition."

The organizers are calling on OFAC to provide a specific exemption for standardized academic testing, and on ETS to restore TOEFL and GRE services in Iran as soon as legally possible.

They argue that sanctions aimed at the Iranian government should not restrict educational opportunities for ordinary citizens who have no role in state policy.

When sanctions impact education

Until recently, the General License G had provided a legal channel for certain academic exchanges and educational services despite broader US sanctions on Iran.

For many students, the suspension is the latest in a series of barriers to studying abroad.

Bahar, who is applying for PhD programs, said many Iranian students had already shifted their focus from the United Statesbecause obtaining visas had become increasingly difficult.

"American universities were our first choice because they generally offer funding for PhD programs more readily than European universities," she told DW.

Now, she said, applicants are increasingly turning to Europe and Australia, but the testing suspension has created a new hurdle.

"There is effectively no difference between IELTS and TOEFL for us now, because in either case, we have to leave Iran to take an English language test," Bahar said.

For students approaching admissions deadlines, postponement may not simply mean waiting a few months. It can mean missing an entire admissions cycle, losing scholarship opportunities or delaying academic plans by a year or more.

While ETS says it is examining possible ways to restore testing in Iran, there is currently no indication of when that might happen. For many applicants, the immediate choice is limited: wait without knowing when testing will return, or spend considerably more to take the same exam abroad.

Edited by: Ole Tangen Jr