By Maggie Msongole:
Students, parents and guardians have expressed worry over an increase in tuition fees at public universities in the country, arguing that the situation will make access to higher education more difficult for the poor.
Random interviews with students from University of Malawi, Mzuzu University and some parents and guardians with children and wards at the public universities have shown that the over 100 percent tuition hike will make life even more unbearable for already struggling students and their households.
In an interview, Thembisa Sithole, a second-year Renewable Energy Systems Engineering student at Mzuzu University, said the timing and scale of the increase are not just unfair but also impossible for both students and their guardians to adjust to.
“My main concern is the timing and scale of the increase. A 100% hike with no prior notice for a public university is unfair.
Doubling the fees suddenly puts a lot of pressure on parents and students themselves. This does not even take into consideration students that fend for themselves,” she lamented.
According to Sithole, previous fees were already difficult for many families to afford; hence the unfair hike will force some students to delay or completely withdraw from their studies.
“Many students will delay or give up on university entirely just to raise that money. There is already a gap in access to student loans; many vulnerable students rely on mini jobs for fees and upkeep,” she said.
Students at the University of Malawi also expressed frustration, saying many rely heavily on upkeep allowances that previously helped cover rent and daily needs.
Happy Sikwese, a student with University of Malawi, concurred with Sithole and described the situation as highly disruptive and unfortunate, warning that it could lead to increased dropout rates among learners in the public institutions.
“From my experience, I can tell you that this hike will make students suffer more because most students are already struggling to balance school fees payments and daily upkeep due to high cost of living; it will not be easy with the hike,” he said.
Martha Mlenga, who has a son studying at the University of Malawi described the situation as worrying, as it makes higher education less accessible for many students, particularly those from low-income families.
“Some deserving students will be unable to continue their studies due to financial constraints; this increase will place additional pressure on already struggling household incomes.
“The new fees are not affordable given Malawi’s current economic conditions of high cost of living and limited household incomes,” she added.
Mzuzu University, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Malawi have adjusted their annual fees from K650,000 to K1,300,000 while Kamuzu University of Health Sciences has adjusted its annual fees from K1,000,000 to K2,000,000 beginning from the coming academic year.
