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May 13, 2014 News
An adjustment to the tuition fee at the University of Guyana is a subject matter that has been gaining the attention of the University of Guyana (UG). The tuition fee was up for discussion at a recent Council meeting presided over by Pro-Chancellor, Dr Prem Misir.
He said that at that meeting a decision was made for a consultation process to be held to deliberate further on the matter which has evoked some controversy.
According to Misir, who last week tendered his resignation and is expected to demit office on June 2, from the 1990s the tuition fee was pegged at $127,000 or the then equivalent of US$1,000, at the time.
He noted that the University Council, in recognition of the fact that the situation has changed over the years, concluded that there is need for some adjustments to be made where the fee is pegged to match the existing rates.
“That is a reasonable thing to me (but) it will not be presented carte blanche to the students,” said Dr Misir.
He noted that through the consultation process stakeholders will be able to give their input. The consultation is slated to commence shortly, Dr Misir said. He added, “We will have to look at what the consultations outcome would be and on the basis of those outcomes decisions will be made.”
But according to Dr Misir, regardless of the outcome of the planned consultations there will not be an increase but rather a possible adjustment to the fees. “This is a proposal; there has to be proposals…You can throw it out during the consultation period and say you don’t want it or say you can live with it; so the consultations will have to produce the outcomes in terms of the kinds of decisions that will be made that will be desirable for the upgrading of the University,” said Dr Misir.
He pointed out, though, that even if there is an adjustment to the fees there must be consideration for those who are disadvantaged to ensure that they too have an equal or similar opportunity to be able to access the university as well.
“Nobody must be denied admission on the basis that they are not able to pay,” said Dr Misir. “I understand the plight of the University at this point in that perhaps a good move to make at this stage, and I hope the consultation outcome can bring about this, that we have some reasonable, realistic adjustment to the situation of our fees in relation to the currency rate of the US dollar.”
Meanwhile, Dr Misir has voiced his disappointment at the move by the parliamentary opposition to disapprove the $450 million allocated for student loans in the 2014 National Budget. “That really should not have happened; I cannot support the opposition on this because there are a lot of students that I know who are struggling financially to come to the University. That is a little bit of a lifeline for them…”
“I personally would not cut the students’ loan,” said Dr Misir. “If that continues and they are not able to rescue it that would hurt a good number of students; I don’t know how many but I do know it will be a lot who will be hurt.”
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