Authorities of higher education mainly of state-owned universities and colleges nationwide say the free tuition policy of the government has been a tremendous success thereby reducing their headache to go after students.
They said that the policy is effective to the extent that they no longer go seeking after students and their sponsors; be it individuals, organizations and companies for the payment of their tuition as was the case in the past.
Addressing the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) yesterday in Monrovia, Julius Zarwolo Nelson, President of the University of Liberia and others said besides students paying their own registration fees, they look up to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for the tuition.
They said this is unique and is working well, thereby reducing the stress or headache they were going through in the past like the disruptions of classes by some students who were not meeting deadlines or could not afford.
“This has also reduced the burden on parents and guardians who have to make end-meets in the past before paying their children or defendants’ school fees,” Zarwolo Nelson stated.
He however pointed that what is to be the policy is for it to be legislated or passed into law hoping that, it will be done this year because the bill for such is now in committee going through scrutiny before debating it.
“Nowadays, we look up to Finance and development Planning Ministry for the payment allotments to public universities and colleges instead of running after students and their sponsors,” Zarwolo Nelson said.
In 2018, President George Weah declared that education in public universities and colleges would be free for undergraduates during his tenure.
University students at the time had been protesting in rising in tuition fees from an average of about US$40 to US$65 per semester claiming it was unaffordable in a country where the average income was just US$570 per year.
Under the new policy, students are only paying US$15 or equivalent in Liberian dollars in registration fees per semester.
There are eight public universities and one college now in the country including the University of Liberia; Tubman University; Nimba County University; Lofa County University; Grand Bassa University College; Grand Gedeh County University and the proposed Bomi County University as well as Harbel University College and the Sinoe County Community College.
On other national issues, UL’s President Nelson said the University of Liberia, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the National Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) shall formally launch a degree granting program in fisheries in the Agriculture Department of the University of Liberia on Wednesday, January 25 in Monrovia.
He stated among many things that the fishery is one of the major revenue-generation sectors of every country in the world and Liberia is no exception, therefore starting with such discipline or degree program cannot be overemphasized.
Nelson indicated further that the University of Liberia shall sooner or later launch its philosophy of doctoral degree granting program in health sciences, agriculture among others but was not specific with date.
He went further that the university have sent more scholars on government’s arrangement (scholarship) some of whom have completed and others perhaps should be completing to augment the strength of the teaching faculty of the university.
At the same time, Nelson has paid tribute to the government for the renovation work carried out on the structures (buildings) of the University of Liberia’s campuses on Capitol Hill, Fendell and Sinje respectively which had not been the case in 40 years.
He said the work is giving the university’s campuses a good face lift for conducive learning like other higher institutions of learning in the world.
Additionally, the University of Liberia is expected to release its Saturday, November 3, 2022, entrance and placement examination results any moment of which over 4,500 candidates reportedly made a successful pass.
Meanwhile, the University of Liberia’s authority have given 2 acres of land to the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) for the construction of national headquarters.
Making the disclosure yesterday to journalists at the MICAT briefing, Edward Lama Wonkeryor, Director of the Commission said they were grateful to the University and that they shall take advantage by constructing the Commission’s headquarters there in Fendell but did not state when.
