Lateefa Bagidi, a final-year student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), was frustrated when her school decided to increase tuition last month. Last year, the increment was from N35,000 to N56,000. This year, the fee rose again from N56,000 to N87,000. Her mother bemoaned the situation, “You are not the only one in school, what about your siblings?”
The student was distraught, completing her education was under threat.
“The only reason I am going back to school now is because it’s my final-year, if not, I might not even resume again,” she said.
It was no longer possible for her to resume this month for lectures, rather, March ending, close to semester examination.
According to her, there is no guarantee of resuming with the complete fees. “The fees have already diverted my attention from resuming early. And paying that kind of amount is something that is very stressful,” she said.
Also, when Durojaye Mustapha, a 200-Level student of Mass Communication saw his tuition fee, rising from N56,000 to N73,000. His attention went back to many of his coursemates that are sponsoring themselves. This could lead to students dropping out.
In all indication, after the increment of last session, Durojaye didn’t expect UDUS to join the list of tertiary institutions that increased their school fees again. According to him, some unnecessary expenses on the breakdown of the school fees can be cut out to make it affordable for students.
“The school management should reduce it by removing some avoidable items that add up to the registration fee, such as sports fee and the likes. I think the management is in the best position to provide an answer to this,” he said.
A student at the Physics Department, Buhari Aliyu, reflected on the challenges he is facing trying to raise the fees. Almost 75 percent of his sponsorship lies on him. Hence, he begged the management to reduce the school fees.
‘‘If the school management knows how many of us are studying under hard conditions they will really cry for us. We are praying for the university to hear us out. Our hands are tight,” he said.
Aliyu added that the school should consider their situation as most of them were not like other students who enjoy scholarship from their states.
Due to the increment, many UDUS students are likely to resume very late. While others whose parents have two or more children in the school are now facing an uphill battle trying to sponsor their wards’ education.
As raised by the students themselves, those who are just starting their undergraduate programme may abandon it as a result of the hike in tuition fee.
According to a report, 18 per cent of tertiary institution students in Nigeria are dropouts due to financial troubles. Whereas, with the continuous rise in tuition fee in universities, the numbers of dropouts will likely increase.
Recently, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke disclosed that 50 per cent of students may drop out in two years due to hike in tuition fees.
“If nothing is done about these heavy fees being introduced by schools all over the country, in the next two or three years, more than 40 to 50 per cent of these children who are in school today will drop out,” he said.
More troubles for education students
Also, at the time of writing this report many final-year students from the Faculty of Education and Extension Service (FEES) were complaining about the unnecessary addition of Teaching Practice (TP) fee added to their fees. They said they have paid for the exercise in the previous session.
Ganiyat Idris Olufunke, a 400-Level student of Education Economics was dumbfounded when she saw her registration portal displayed N98,000 instead of N81,000. “Before it was N81,000 but now we are seeing N98,000 in our portal which is not supposed to be like that.
“The 400-Level students are not doing TP anymore. So, why did they add the TP fee again? It shocked me seriously. Our parents will think we are trying to dupe them,” she said.
Another 400-Level student, Yahaya Gaddafia, noticed the addition of almost N8,400 of TP fee in the breakdown of his school fees, despite having paid last session.
“How can we pay for the TP fee again after we paid last session? We saw it on the breakdown of our final year school fees and we have already gone for our TP last session. Please, the school should do something about it,” he pleaded.
Students call for review of tuition fee
Students have called on the university to consider a review of tuition fee. Thadeus Terna, a 400-Level student, urged the students’ union to be brave enough in finding a way out for the students.
“It’s going to cause a lot of damage to us. It’s not easy for our parents. How I wish there’s a way the students union can bring our plight before the school management,” he said.
“I don’t know when I am going to resume yet. The school fee is high and money is scarce. I am uncertain about my resumption. Now I have to get money for foodstuff, logistics and registration fees. It’s hard. They should reduce it please”, Aisha Abdulrasheed, a 200-Level student at the Agricultural Science Department said.
Parents beseech management
When Mal. Abdullahi Jibrin from Kaduna, whose son, Mohammad Jibrin is studying Agriculture at UDUS, realised the danger posed by the increment, as a man catering to more than 10 children in different schools, he became puzzled on how to sponsor them all at the same time.
He expected the school management to be more innovative enough in finding other sources to fund the university without overloading parents with high fees. He urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to support education.
Mr. Junaidu Hamidu, a guardian to Yahaya Gaddafi of Mathematics Department was equally agitated by the sudden increment.
His words:”We are struggling hard to get what to eat, now the school management is pushing our children back home, which one are we going to deal with?”
“Why is the school trying to stop our children’s education? The authorities should look at it and assist us by reducing it.”
UDUS management speaks
Concerning the increment, the management through the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Umar Aliyu, said: “The management has already communicated its stand on the issue to the students’ union’’.
Also, when this reporter asked about the sudden increase of the TP fee of education students who are currently in their final year, the Dean said : “We are not aware of this. We will find out”.
We wrote to management — SU
In response to the management reaction, the Chairman of Students’ Union Caretaker Committee (SU-CTC), Ibrahim Sanusi said: “The union wrote a letter to the university management, appealing on behalf of the students for the review of the school fees incremen.
“Subsequently, we were invited and deliberated on the letter. We are now waiting for their final response,” he replied.
However, when further asked on the management stance on the issue, the SU chairman refused to reply.
