BULAWAYO - No university can increase fees without submitting their proposed fees and levies structures for approval by government, a cabinet minister has said.Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Stan Mudenge, said to date no university or tertiary institute had submitted their proposed fees structures for the new semester and hence had no legal mandate to increase their fees.
Universities and tertiary colleges councils are required to lay out their proposed structures for the new semester, which they then submit to my ministry for consideration, said Mudenge.
The colleges should clearly justify they need to increase fees and if the ministry sees it necessary we approve it but we can also throw it out. We dont want to burden our students for no clear reason, higher education is supposed to be affordable, he said.
As I speak I am still waiting for input from all the universities and colleges around the country. We want to avoid a situation where one college increases fees with the others not increasing, he said.
Mudenge said no students could be barred from attending lessons or writing examinations due to non-payment of school fees.
Over the years, university students have clashed with authorities over the issue of high university fees and being barred from writing exams.
Last year students from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) attempted to burn down the ceremonial hall during one protest.
Post published in: News