The Higher Education Act of 1981 nominated Anadolu University as the national provider of distance education, upon which it has placed strong emphasis since its creation in 1982. The university's goal is to educate Turks who live in rural areas and others "who do not have the time or resources to enroll in conventional schools."[5] This effort has been largely successful, as enrollment in open education programs has increased from under 30,000 in 1982-83 to over 870,000 in 2005-06 and is now also available to Turkish communities in Northern Cyprus and the European Union.