Afaq Yusifli, an Azerbaijani student studying in the Master's program in Producing for Fiction and Documentary Films at the University of Melbourne, stated that a part of her tuition fee has not been transferred to the university for months.
Modern.az reports that Afaq Yusifli made a detailed post about this on her social media account.
According to her, she has been studying at the University of Melbourne since February 2026 and is currently facing serious problems with the payment for the second semester.
Yusifli stated that a part of her tuition fee is covered by the special scholarship program for Cultural and Creative Industries of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the other part by other financial sources.
According to the student, 25,500 manats allocated to the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan for the payment of her tuition fee has not been transferred to the university since March 2026.
“I have already received the fourth warning from the university. I was informed that if the payment for the second semester is not made by the first week of October, sanctions may be applied to my education,” she noted.
Afaq Yusifli emphasized that the problem is not related to the lack of state support:
“The Azerbaijani state fulfills its obligations regarding my tuition fee. My tuition fee is paid by two institutions. 19,485 US dollars for the first semester and 15,000 US dollars for the third semester have already been paid to the university. The payment for the fourth semester is also planned to be made in the first quarter of 2027.”
According to her claim, the amount of 25,500 manats was allocated for her tuition fee at the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan since December 2025.
Yusifli stated that after the death of Rasim Balayev, the chairman of the Union, the process of signing payment documents stopped and the issue has not been resolved to date.
According to the student, the option of transferring the funds to her personal account was also discussed, but this raised legal questions at the university:
“In the official documents I submitted when applying for a visa to Australia, it was stated that my tuition fee would be paid by the relevant institutions. Now, the payment of funds from the official institution's account to the university from the student's personal account raises legal questions. Thus, there is money, but it cannot be transferred to the university.”
Afaq Yusifli noted that earlier the Azerbaijani Embassy in Australia intervened in the matter, an official letter was sent to the university, and as a result, she was given additional time.
However, according to the student, that grace period is also about to expire.
She stated that her family is unable to pay the 25,500 manats tuition fee. Yusifli also noted that her living, rent, and daily expenses in Australia are high.
The student emphasized that her family situation is also difficult. According to her, her father is a veteran of the First Karabakh War, and her mother is battling a serious illness.
Afaq Yusifli also noted in her post that during her studies at the University of Melbourne, she prepared a video about Azerbaijani cinema history and Jafar Jabbarli, and chose the occupation of Karabakh as a visual research topic in one of her exam papers.
She stated that she is currently working in various positions on six film projects with creative groups consisting of international students. In addition, she is one of the producers of the “Virtual Production” project, which is planned to start production at the end of September.
“My goal is not just to get a diploma abroad. I want to become one of the professional and internationally educated film producers in Azerbaijan, and bring the knowledge I have gained to the Azerbaijani film industry,” the student wrote.
Afaq Yusifli said that she also applied to a number of private institutions, but could not get a response.
She appealed to the public and institutions that can help solve the problem:
“I am not asking you for pocket money, I am not asking for financial assistance for my personal life. I just want to know what I should do now? There are funds allocated for my tuition fee at the Union of Cinematographers of Azerbaijan, but despite months passing, it is not being transferred to the university.”
According to Yusifli, if the payment problem is not resolved, the university may impose restrictions on her continued education in the first week of October.
“I have waited for months, I have been patient, I have believed. Now I have received the last warning. I am just a student and I want to continue my education. I ask everyone who can help solve this problem: guide me,” Afaq Yusifli concluded her post.
