Malawi govt turns down tuition fee reduction for Chanco students
Government has rejected concerns raised by self-sponsored students of Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima) in their petition over reduction of tuition fees as well as increasing their living allowance (MALSWITCH).
A Nyasa Times source said the decision was communicated to the students through the Council for the University of Malawi during a meeting with the Students Union of Chancellor College (SUCC)
representatives today.
A week before Chancellor College opened its 2012/2013 academic year, tuition fees for both government-sponsored and self-sponsored students was hiked by 150 percent.
The students had requested government through a petition on Friday last week to consider reducing tuition fee for self-sponsored students from the hiked K250, 000. The students also wanted their MALSWITCH increased from K32, 000 by at least 50 percent.
“Government has refused to raise the amount to any other percentage that may be proposed by the students. In addition, government says much as it understands that prices of things have soared, it will not reduce tuition fees in order to suit the current situation,” said the source.
In an interview soon after the meeting, Students Union of Chancellor College (Succ) president Israel Masiyano expressed disappointment with government’s position on the matter.
“We regarded government as our parent but what has transpired will just infuriate the students when they get the news. Right now I am on my way back to Zomba to brief them on the response from government,” said Masiyano.
The students expressed worry over the handling of the fee adjustment by college authorities.
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