In an era when education has increasingly served as a springboard for many Nigerians to achieve status and fame, the rising cost of higher education in public universities have become a matter of national concern.
As the government recognizes the role of education in providing peace, development and sustainable innovations, as marked by the January 24 International Education Day, it has become necessary to address the serious issue of rising cost of tertiary education in the country.
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), became the latest public university to put in place a school fee hike when it raised its entrance fee to N240,500, with returning students paying N131,000.
Question: Why are Universities Raising Their Fees?
However, the case of FUTA is the repeat of a pattern that began with the University of Lagos not long after the Federal Government declared that it was unable to sustain the funding of public universities.
“Whether we like it or not, the government can no longer foot the bill for universities,” Permanent Secretary for the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo, said last June.
The University of Lagos attempted to justify its price increase last July, citing two reasons: “The adjustment in fees is in view of the prevailing economic realities and the need for the University to be able to meet its obligations to its students, staff and municipal service providers among others,” said the University’s spokesperson, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem.
In a bid to calm the tension among students, the administration tried to explain that it had been forced into raising its fees to manage the operations of the university. “It is also pertinent to note that the University has not increased its obligatory fees in recent years.”
It has become clear that these increases are a direct consequence of the government’s education policy.
“The universities already have autonomy [which was a cardinal subject during the 2020 ASUU strike]; what they lack is financial autonomy,” said Mr Adejo, adding that the government was in favour of a private-public partnership in higher education.
“Once they obtain it, they will be able to address this issue [how to foot their bills] and the government is actively working towards that goal.”
How Does the Student Loan Scheme Come In?
Fully aware that this change in policy would prompt universities to sizably raise their fees to compensate for the shortfall, the Federal Government projected a flexible interest-free student loan scheme that has yet to kick off.
“It’s not just about paying tuition; it’s about providing a comprehensive solution to support students in their academic journey,” Adejo explained.
Despite Monday’s update on the status of the scheme by the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zaach Adedeji, the federal government appears unlikely to meet its January target launch date with only a week remaining.
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Moreover, the scheme has now lost the trust of several Nigerians who had previously believed it would offer financially deprived Nigerian students with the resources to obtain good education.
Some students tell NEWS DIGEST that the scheme has already lost its essence as universities announce large fee increases. “We have people who found it difficult to pay the former price, how can they now cope with the hiked price?” said Abdulrasheed Akere, a student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).
The recent hike in school fees has left many Nigerian students feeling financially disadvantaged, yet the loan terms state that only those with an individual or family income of less than N500,000 per year are allowed to apply. This means that only candidates from households earning less than N42,000 per month are allowed to apply.
One significant drawback of this outcome is that families that earn more than N42,000 per month and were previously able to manage their children’s education would now be unable to do so due to recent tuition rises. They were, however, not captured in the loan’s conditions.
What Does these Increases Mean for Students and Families?
The management of FUTA was forced to postpone its resumption last week due to mass demonstrations against the recent increase in school fees. Other universities that had proposed similar fee increments have met an equal show of resistance.
“It is going to be difficult for a civil servant to adjust to this kind of living because they would have to source for more money,” said Adeyanju Michelle, a 400-level student of Obafemi Awolowo University.
Michelle studies Art and Social Science Education at university, and her school fees have just increased from N21,000 to N76,000 as a result of the school fees review.
Michelle had this opinion: “Maybe those in their finals are kind of safe because this is their last tuition payment. But what about the people in their first, second, or third year? How would they manage, coming from a family of more than three children?
“Probably only a politician or a family that’s extremely rich can see the increment as nothing. I am sure the hike is going to make many families struggle.”
Similarly, Abdulrasheed Akere believes the rising cost of education in Nigeria is a problem that can increase social unrest and insecurity.
He said: “Some parents are not educated but their beliefs in the power of education pushed them to enrol their wards in school. Now that the tuition fee is barely affordable, they will run from what their plans and settle for less, may be handiwork or farming.
“Also, some struggling parents have more than one child in the university; their salaries or income fail to increase as their children’s tuition fees are increasing. What do we expect from this scenario than for one child to drop out for another?”
Akere is a final-year student at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) where he is studying Environmental Biology. He told NEWS DIGEST that his tuition for the upcoming session is N81,260. “Some departments in Engineering, Law and Medicine have much higher fees.”
