By Johnson Kanamugire

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Students from the University of Rwanda (UR) have petitioned officials in protest against yet another increment on tuition charges for science courses.

An announcement made last week by the university shows that the new fee structure will take effect in the 2017/18 academic year.

Tuition for Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM) courses rose by 66.6 per cent to reach Rwf1.5 million ($1,774). The increment follows a 50 per cent increment last year.

The new fee policy announced by UR officials only a month to the opening of the new academic year shows non-STEM programmes will cost Rwf600,000 ($709), while international students will pay 20 per cent more than the amount paid by local students.

The increment means parents will have to pay more than Rwf6 million ($7,099) up from Rwf3.6 million ($4,259) to have their students pursue a four-year STEM course. This also further increases the tuition loan burden for students on the state-bursary scheme.

“The tuition will be paid in three equal installments. The first instalment must be paid not later than October 5, the second installment must be paid not later than January 5, 2018 and the third installment not later than April 30, 2018.

“All students are required to abide by the above schedule otherwise their names will not appear on class attendance and examination lists,” the circular reads.

The increase does not include administrative costs like admission, registration, medical, student union contributions alongside lodging and restaurant costs, among other things.

“This was a serious problem when tuition fees increased from Rwf600,000 ($709) to Rwf900,000 ($1,064) last year, and we are surprised that officials decided to increase it even further without any consultations,” said one of the student representatives who signed a petition to be sent to the University and Ministry of Education officials.

Reduction

In the letter seen by Rwanda Today, students are asking for the fees to be reduced or implementation postponed to consider the implication of the increment.

The University of Rwanda’s acting Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Jean Pierre Nkuranga who signed the circular said he was could not comment when contacted.

The university justifies the increment as necessary because of the high cost of offering STEM courses.

The university, which is an amalgamation of seven former public institutions of higher learning and whose income is largely dependent on students’ fees, has been working on a funding model to bridge its funding gaps. This is especially after it lost billions of francs over mismanagement of its resources.

However, experts say raising fees could unfairly deny intelligent but poor students a chance to pursue STEM courses. They add that it could raise the debt burden of fresh graduates.

Several students pursuing STEM courses are considering pursuing their courses at private universities, but some of these institutions have recently faced criticism over the quality and standard of their education.

Burden

Both current and new self-sponsored students say the fee is a burden on their families and sponsors who were not consulted on the increment.

Students like Steve Gandi, who had completed their first year at University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology, told Rwanda Today that their learning will be affected because the increase is more than what their sponsors can afford.

“My parents and I decided that I’ll have to go to a different university where I’ll have to register afresh for a different but cheaper course,” said Gandi.

Joy Amata had completed her first year at the UR’s Mining School as a self-sponsored student after her parents were wrongly categorised in the Ubudehe socio-economic classification last year.
Her parents were hoping she would qualify for state-sponsorship after re-application, but the tuition fee increment has quashed those hopes.

“Even if one happens to be eligible for the loan, you cannot hope to get a job that will enable you to pay the debt that will have accumulated after four years,”

she said, adding that money and time spent in the first year could be at loss if the fee structure remains unchanged.

“I’m considering doing a different degree because of the fee increment,” she said.