Greece has removed over 300,000 inactive students from its state university rolls. The Education Ministry said on Friday that exactly 308,605 students admitted before 2017 to four-year degree programs were deleted. This cuts the country's official student population by nearly half. The move ends a long-standing practice allowing students to stay enrolled for extended periods. This practice supported lifelong learning and allowed long breaks for work. Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki said, "Student status is not valid for life in any modern European university." However, opponents argue that the program did not fix the problems caused by the last decade's financial crisis. The lifetime enrollment rule was formally abolished in recent legislation, marking a big shift in policy.