Students at the University of Bahr el Ghazal in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, are protesting the increment of tuition fees which the university’s administration justifies as a necessary adjustment to factor in prevailing market prices.
According to the university’s deputy vice chancellor for administration and finance, Dr. Hawa Marjan, the fee increment is to keep the institution running since the national ministry of higher education has not sent money for operations.
She said the national government only dispatched salaries for staff into the university’s account but does not send money to cover the budget of running the university which has forced the administration to increase tuition fees.
“Registration started on 3 August for the new academic year and there are also changes, especially in the tuition fees. We have increased the tuition fees but we have only adjusted them to meet market demands which have increased due to inflation. Due to this economic crisis we are going through, the students at the College of Economics will now pay SSP 150,000 including hostel fees yet they used to pay around 40,000,” she explained. “The government of South Sudan pays the salary only, but we are supposed to receive also the operation budget, which is chapter two, but this is the budget that does not come.”
“I think the last operation budget which was sent to us for November last year was paid in March this year,” Dr. Marjan added.
Reacting to the administration’s decision, some of the students said the increment in tuition fees was too big.
Joseph WeK, a student, said the main concern of the students is finding the money for tuition fees since most cannot afford it. He urged the national ministry of higher education to intervene.
“It will undermine our abilities and we consider it to be abnormal. Last year, students of medicine, veterinary science, and other health science courses were paying around SSP 50,000 but this year the general intake is paying up to SSP 175,000 plus 25,000 development fees all amounting to 200,000,” he said.
Another student, Barnaba Bak, said the increase in the university development fund which is now SSP 25,000 was 1,500 last year which he says is shocking.
“The university development fund which used to be SSP 1,500 last year has been increased to 25,000. Hostel accommodation fees which was 6,000 is now SSP 25,000 yet the hostel is not safe, there are a lot of bedbugs, no proper construction, and there is no electricity,” he lamented. “The services that we are supposed to get are not there and yet the amount we have to pay has now been increased.”