Students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have taken to the streets in protest against a tuition fee hike of over 100 percent.
The Management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) held a meeting over the weekend during which the decision to increase tuition fees was reached.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Monday by the University’s PRO, Mr. Effiong Eyo, it was disclosed that the upward review of the tuition fees was taken at an emergency meeting of the University Senate on Friday.
The release stated that the implementation of the upward review takes effect from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.
Findings showed that with the increase, fresher’s, returning students, and final year students for the non-science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500, and N114,000 respectively. They are also required to pay N36,500, N21,500, and N21,500 respectively as third-party dues.
In the same vein, students for the science courses were increased to N155,000, N125,000, and N148,000 respectively for fresher’s, returning students, and final year students. They are also to pay N38,500, N21,500, and N21,500 respectively as third-party dues.
However, in the early hours of Monday, students of the institution took placards with various inscriptions to protest the hike of tuition fees as well as other charges, asking the management to rescind its decision. Some of the inscriptions include “return to the old fees,” “bring back our old fees/charges,” “We can’t afford the new fees,” “UNICAL SUG, wake up” amongst others.
The students who marched around the school premises and took their protest to the Main gate of the school caused traffic gridlock along Etta-Agbor and Mary Slessor road in Calabar Municipality LGA.
Findings showed that before the increment, tuition fees for an average student, depending on the department, was N64,050 for fresher’s, N52,050 for final year, and N49,500 for the returning students.
The management explained that the increment was necessitated by the current economic realities and the need to maintain the academic standard for which the University was known.”
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