Overview
- The Essen Regional Court sentenced a 42-year-old former university administrator to three years and nine months in prison and a 39-year-old former student to three years for bribery and corruption.
- Between 2017 and 2021, the pair manipulated the grades of at least 35 students in exchange for payments totaling over €90,000.
- Students paid up to €900 to turn failed exams into passes, with additional fees for small grade improvements, exploiting uncontrolled access to the university’s IT system.
- Participating students have faced fines, probation, and revocation of credits or degrees, as investigations revealed their involvement in the scheme.
- The university has since strengthened exam oversight and IT access controls to restore trust in its academic processes, following public criticism of the breach.