State universities could end up charging up to $15 000 a
semester once all ancillary fees, accommodation and meals have been factored
in.
The Government set maximum tuition fees between $3 500 and
$5 000 per semester for universities, depending on course, while tuition at
colleges was set at between $500 and $1 500.
Ancillary fees, accommodation and meals were left to the
institutions to determine. The ancillary charges include registration,
examination, maintenance, medical aid, technology, students union, sports levy,
laboratory, travel, student development, fieldwork and graduation fees and can
total $3 660.
The Herald’s investigations have shown that universities
are trying to go back to their proposed high charges by hiking ancillary and
accommodation fees.
At the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), where tuition for a
medical student was set at $4 995, the total including ancillary fees is $8
655.
Students staying on campus will also have to pay
accommodation fees, which has not been invoiced but is said to be between $8
000 and $10 000.
Those from outside Harare who opt to rent rooms in Mount
Pleasant and Vainona near campus, will probably have to pay their landlords
anything between $1 200 and $1 800, often demanded in foreign currency.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation and Technology
Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira has, however, encouraged parents
and guardians to take advantage of the student loan scheme, saying Government
had no jurisdiction over ancillary fees.
“People should take loans because they are meant to be
used,” he said.
“The loan scheme is meant to be used because we can see
that our fees are still lower than that of high schools. There is no way a
student can go to a university without chemicals, equipment and stuff meant for
Parents should capitalise on the loan scheme and they have
to understand that this is not a cash economy hence we encourage them to take
loans.
“We want our students to have access to education and we
have agreed that students on attachment should pay 60 percent of the tuition
fees. They should access these loans because they are guaranteed by the Government.”
Parents and guardians said these were private loans which
they were expected to immediately start paying back.
“The repayment is set to commence the next month after the
loan application is approved. So a student with no one to guarantee the ability
to pay won’t get the loan,” a disgruntled parent said.
“In the case of the UZ, the loan applications are processed
via the University of Zimbabwe Cadetship Office, but the ultimate
decision-maker is CBZ (Bank), and repayment is by debiting a salary at not more
than 40 percent of applicant’s net income.
“At the end of the day the parent is left with nothing.
Government is forgetting that we already have other loans and stop orders.”
Responding to the high cost of ancillary fees, Prof Murwira
said the Government was assisting university operations by giving each
university $6 million for operational costs such as water and electricity.
“We are now helping universities on their operations and
each university has received $6 million for operational costs. This was last
done in 2009, but we have restarted it; supporting universities budget wise.
“We also encouraged universities to increase agricultural
programmes to ensure that their food is coming from their farms. Our main aim
is never to have students outside the class, but to make sure that they are in
class. Levies are normally a function of how the economy functions,” he said.
UZ director of information and public relations Mr Daniel
Chihombori said the final accommodation fees will be given on February 24 to
allow parents and guardians time to look for the money.
Last semester, UZ students paid $1 200 as accommodation
fees. Harare Institute of Technology communications officer Mr
Jefry Makumbe said the institution was reviewing accommodation fees and these
would be published as soon as they are approved.
At Harare Polytechnic, students paid $1 540 for
accommodation but the figure is reportedly under review.
Bindura University of Science Education director of public
relations Mr James Gutura said they proposed their fee structure last week and
it is yet to be approved by the parent ministry.
Mutare Polytechnic College students staying on campus will
have to fork out $6 990.
At Kwekwe and Gweru Polytechnic colleges, students said
they paid $3 500 for food and $730 for accommodation over and above $1 300 for
tuition.
At Masvingo Polytechnic, resident students are paying $3
500 per semester for accommodation but sources said the figure would be
reviewed soon, while at Masvingo Teachers’ College resident students are paying
$3 500.
A source at Bondolfi Teachers’ College said many students
were going for off-campus accommodation because of the $4 000 being charged by
the institution per semester.
Great Zimbabwe University director of information Mr
Anderson Chipatiso said campus accommodation fees for the forthcoming semester
will be decided after consultation with the institution’s students
representative body.
At Midlands State University, authorities said they were
yet to come up with a food and accommodation fee structure with the new
semester expected to start mid-February.
However, students at the two institutions said they were
told to budget for between $8 000 and $10 000. Herald
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