What one needs to study abroad

KAMPALA:

With the release of the 2017 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exam results by the Uganda Examinations Board (Uneb), several students are looking abroad for further studies.
But what does it take for one to enroll in a university outside Uganda?
Mr Patrick Muyinda, the Education ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday that students who seek to study abroad are helped to access the available scholarships from universities outside Uganda.
“What the ministry does is to receive scholarships from universities around the world. We interview the students when those scholarships are available and those who go through are nominated for onward admission by the university itself,” Mr Muyinda said.
He said most Ugandan students seeking to study abroad go to universities in India, China, Algeria, and Egypt, while those benefiting from the Commonwealth scholarships go to the United Kingdom (UK).

NCHE says...
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) also recognises that there are many students who go abroad to further their education, but warns that such students need to be careful so as not to “waste” time and resources at universities whose documents do not meet the Ugandan education standards.
Mr Saul Waigolo, the NCHE spokesperson, told Saturday Monitor that those students seeking to study abroad should identify the universities and contact the council for verification of their legal status in the country of destination.

Fake universities
“There are many people who go to universities abroad but the papers they get are not acceptable in Ugandan public service because those institutions are not recognised in those countries. So we advise students to come to us so that we verify with our counterparts in that country whether the university is licensed,” Mr Waigolo said.
He said NCHE receives daily nearly 50 people bringing their papers obtained from universities abroad to be equated to the education systems in Uganda.

The hustle
Fees. A look at the website of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, one of the top destinations for Ugandan students, the foreign students are asked to pay the fees in the Great Britain Pound currency. This means a student will have to incur a cost of buying the foreign currency before paying the fees.
Costs. The costs for those students vary, according to the course of choice, administrative, accommodation, and fieldwork, all paid separately.
Payment mode. The mode of payment of tuition and other fees are through online card payment, bank transfer, payment by telephone, and in person payment.