Makerere proposes new tuition policy
Kampala- Makerere University has proposed to impose a penalty of 5 per cent of the total fees required for a semester on students who delay to pay their tuition fees by the 6th week of the new semester.
The proposals contained in a draft fees policy document, also suggest that all continuing students will be required to pay Shs200,000 as a commitment fee within the first two weeks of the semester before they are allowed to register with the university.
“Students will pay full functional fees and tuition as well as a late fees payment charge equivalent to 5 per cent of all fees for the semester by the end of the 12th week of a semester.
“Provisional registration must be completed within the first two weeks of a semester. Every continuing student shall pay a commitment fee as may be fixed by the University Council, provided that at the time of approval of this policy the commitment fee shall be Shs200,000 before the student is provisionally registered for the subsequent semester,” reads part of the report. The commitment fee is not an additional charge but is part of the overall tuition sum.
“Students who default payment of fees or are in debt to the university for any reason shall not be allowed to write their examinations or proceed for further studies or receive a transcript,” the report adds.
Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, vice chancellor in charge of Finance and administration, said once the changes are adopted by the Council, all new students for the 2016/2017 academic year starting in August will first pay all functional fees and 60 per cent of the tuition before they can get their admission letters.
He added that the earlier 60 per cent fees policy will be revoked since its implementation had met resistance from various stakeholders causing mayhem at the university.
“The policy on payment of 60 per cent of fees by the 6th week is revoked. Students will pay 100 per cent fees by the 12th week of a semester with a surcharge for late payment,” Prof Nawangwe told journalists at the university on Friday.
He was flanked by the deputy academic registrar, Mr Charles Ssentongo, and the guild representative Mr Jothany Burobuto.
According to Prof Nawangwe, these proposals will inform a committee which Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda set up last week to find a lasting fees solution for the university.
The committee chaired by Mr Thomas Tayebwa is expected to submit its findings before the new semester begins in August. He is a member of the University Council.
“This is a draft report which was made by management and discussed with the Senate. It is going to feed into the Prime Minister’s committee. They may agree with our proposals or disagree. That is why we request the public to interest themselves into this so that we get their feedback which will improve on our services,” Prof Nawangwe said.
He said the university’s debts may hit Shs80b by close of this financial year ending June 30 mainly from pension arrears and in-house retirement scheme which was eventually stopped.
But he added that once government takes over the university’s entire wage bill, they would be able to settle the bulk of the debt. Currently, government pays 60 per cent of the staff salaries while the university contributes 40 per cent.
Their highest expenditure is on water and electricity bills which consume Shs10b annually, almost 10 per cent of the money collected from tuition. They also spend on bandwidth and telephone costs.
Resident students will only be allocated a room upon proof of full payment of tuition fees.