Tough Times For Students, Parents As Schools Hike Fees By 200%

These are hard times for students and parents, as they are now to pay more for their education following increase in fees by the nation’s federal and state universities.

Many institutions have increased their fees by 100 to 200 per cent, which may force some indigent students out of school.
Already, most federal and state universities have raised their fees, to cushion the effects of funding challenges in public institutions.

They justified the hike on poor government funding of tertiary education and rising inflation in the country, which shot up to 22.4 per cent, the highest in 17 years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

So far, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) University of Uyo (UNIUYO) University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA) Federal University, Lafia (FULAFIA), Federal University, Dutse (FUD) Federal University, Kashere (FUKASHERE), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) have all announced increments in their school fees and other sundry charges payable by students.

Others include Bayero University Kano (BUK), Niger Delta University (NDU), Nsukka, and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), University of Ibadan (UI), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, among others.

The development has begun to raise fear among parents and students, as stakeholders described it as an attempt to pile more economic woes on suffering Nigerians.

The management of the Federal University, Dutse, in a memo by the Deputy Registrar (Academics) Kamal Habib Muhammad, announced a 200 per cent increase in its fees. It said, however, that payments can be made in two installments and discounts will be given to staff members’ children.

From the old fees of N37,000, returning students have to pay N97,000 plus other sundry charges.

Also, UNIMAID, in a memo addressed to students, said due to rising costs of teaching and learning materials, as well as laboratory consumables and reagents brought about by market forces, students would now pay more. From N29, 830, it has skyrocketed to about N74, 000; registration fee at the university is N58, 000, while fees for medical students was hiked to a whopping sum of N252, 500 for new students, and N233, 000 for returning students. New students in the Faculty of Law will now pay N124, 500, while returning students will pay N105, 000, while the highest being medical college at N238, 000.

UNN has announced a 100 per cent hike in fees, fresh students across the faculties in the university are to pay a consolidated fee of between N114, 650 and N120, 650, while older students are expected to pay between N85, 000 – N95, 000.

It was gathered that before the new development, old students in the institution paid a fee of N40, 000, and new students N83, 000.

At DELSU, for instance, angry parents wondered why the management would ask a student to pay N8, 000 for a laboratory coat; N7, 000 for an ID card, N7, 000 for verification of examination, course accreditation levy as if the courses were not accredited before they were admitted, caution fee, department material levy, and technology fee.

For NOUN students, undergraduates are expected to pay N55, 000 instead of N36, 000, minus courses and exam registration, Exam registration is N1,500, project fee N25, 000, while postgraduates pay between N35, 000 and N61, 000.

Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State, fees for new intakes that was N56, 000 is now N188, 500. Fees for fresh students in arts and social sciences that was fixed for N55, 000 was increased to N183, 500 just as returning students are expected to pay N113, 000 as against N47, 000 old fee.

Students’ accommodation per bed space is now N60, 000 from N20, 000, while the GST handbook sold to students at N1, 500 per copy was increased to N6, 500.

For Bayelsa State government- owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Amasoma, second year students of the Faculty of Nursing who paid N37, 000 as school fees last year would now pay N100, 000.