Nkumba university increases tuition fees
Aug 26, 2009
NKUMBA University council has passed a resolution to increase the tuition by 15% for the entrants and 5% for the continuing students.
By Moses Odongo
NKUMBA University council has passed a resolution to increase the tuition by 15% for the entrants and 5% for the continuing students.
The guild president, who is the students’ council representative, Nathan Okebe, said the resolution was passed in order to improve students’ welfare.
“I did not agree with the resolution, but it was passed since my single vote could not outweigh 14 votes of council members,†Okebe said.
The five public universities, Makerere, Mbarara, Gulu, Kyambogo and Busitema, recently increased tuition fees by 40%.
The Nkumba university spokesperson, Joseph Kiggundu, declined to comment, saying only the university chancellor had the authority to talk to the press.
However, the bursar’s office endorsed a notice, which was pinned on notice boards at the university, indicating the new fees structure.
The new fees structure indicated that continuing Law students would pay over sh1.2m compared to sh920,000 previously paid. New students would pay about sh1.3m.
Mass Communication continuing students would pay about sh900,000 and new entrants would pay sh1.1m.
As the semester opened last week, the students protested the increment and refused to attend lectures, saying the administration should have informed them in time.
A third year student only identified as Waweru said the administration last academic year wrote to their parents stating that they would not increase tuition fees despite the hard economic times.
The parents, he said, were encouraged to clear the tuition during holidays to avoid disturbances during study time.
The guild speaker, Joshua Mahende, said the guild president was not working for the students and had not communicated to fellow leaders the university’s move.
“It was wrong to increase fees of continuing students because all universities have not increased what old students pay. This will affect students whose sponsors have already cleared annual fees,†he said.
Mahende said the administration should allow the students to register before paying the increment, since they had notified parents that the fees would not change.
Okebe advised the students to remain calm, pay the revised tuition and attend lectures, saying it was too late for the university to reverse the decision.
“All universities have increased fees with even bigger percentages than Nkumba. I think what should be done is to calculate for the students how much they are supposed to pay so that they understand,†he said.
The university has just transitioned from quarter system, which had three study terms a year, to a semester system, which will have 2 study periods. The tuition for transitioning students was derived by dividing the sum of the cost of three quarters, Okebe said.
NKUMBA University council has passed a resolution to increase the tuition by 15% for the entrants and 5% for the continuing students.
The guild president, who is the students’ council representative, Nathan Okebe, said the resolution was passed in order to improve students’ welfare.
“I did not agree with the resolution, but it was passed since my single vote could not outweigh 14 votes of council members,†Okebe said.
The five public universities, Makerere, Mbarara, Gulu, Kyambogo and Busitema, recently increased tuition fees by 40%.
The Nkumba university spokesperson, Joseph Kiggundu, declined to comment, saying only the university chancellor had the authority to talk to the press.
However, the bursar’s office endorsed a notice, which was pinned on notice boards at the university, indicating the new fees structure.
The new fees structure indicated that continuing Law students would pay over sh1.2m compared to sh920,000 previously paid. New students would pay about sh1.3m.
Mass Communication continuing students would pay about sh900,000 and new entrants would pay sh1.1m.
As the semester opened last week, the students protested the increment and refused to attend lectures, saying the administration should have informed them in time.
A third year student only identified as Waweru said the administration last academic year wrote to their parents stating that they would not increase tuition fees despite the hard economic times.
The parents, he said, were encouraged to clear the tuition during holidays to avoid disturbances during study time.
The guild speaker, Joshua Mahende, said the guild president was not working for the students and had not communicated to fellow leaders the university’s move.
“It was wrong to increase fees of continuing students because all universities have not increased what old students pay. This will affect students whose sponsors have already cleared annual fees,†he said.
Mahende said the administration should allow the students to register before paying the increment, since they had notified parents that the fees would not change.
Okebe advised the students to remain calm, pay the revised tuition and attend lectures, saying it was too late for the university to reverse the decision.
“All universities have increased fees with even bigger percentages than Nkumba. I think what should be done is to calculate for the students how much they are supposed to pay so that they understand,†he said.
The university has just transitioned from quarter system, which had three study terms a year, to a semester system, which will have 2 study periods. The tuition for transitioning students was derived by dividing the sum of the cost of three quarters, Okebe said.