Under the cadetship programme introduced in 2010, government pays tuition fees for underprivileged students in universities and colleges on the basis they will work in the country after the completion of studies for the same number of years for which they were funded.
Lately, some universities like the Midlands State University and National university of Science and Technology have been compelling students to pay cash amid reports the government owes them millions of dollars. The varsities have also complained that they risk being bankrupt, unable to upgrade infrastructure and learning facilities if they continued accommodating the students. Deputy higher education minister, Godfrey Gandawa, said on the side lines of a graduation ceremony held at Gweru Teachers College recently that government is still looking for the money to pay the universities.
“The cadetship scheme is part of Government’s efforts to ensure that the intelligent but poor students pursue their education. It’s a serious policy for that matter. So we have adopted a resolution to compel all the institutions to accommodate these students. “We know that we owe the universities but letters have been sent to them saying let the students learn and access their results which they need to move to next levels. We are looking for the money,” he said.
As of May 2013, government owed $64 million in unpaid tuition fees. At the time, of the 54,735 students who were on the cadetship programme, only 10,000 students received their funding while 40,000 others failed to get the assistance. Government was reported to owe the institutions about $15 million at that time but the figure is believed to have ballooned since then.
Gandawa said his ministry was liaising with its finance counterpart to make piecemeal payments of $20,000 a month to every institution.
In the 2014 budget, $333 million was allocated to ministry – but treasury is struggling to pay civil servants and has not fulfilled its commitments under the budget.
Post published in: News