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Students fume as varsities announce fee increases for 2017

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 Despite numerous protests at Wits University, including by academics, the varsity announced an 8% increase in fees for next year. Picture: Leon Sadiki/City Press
Despite numerous protests at Wits University, including by academics, the varsity announced an 8% increase in fees for next year. Picture: Leon Sadiki/City Press

The University of The Free State, Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University and the North-West University are the latest tertiary institutions to join Wits in increasing their fees by 8%.

The University of the Free State announced its increase yesterday, saying its council approved the institution’s budget for 2017 last Friday.

“A general increase of 8% in tuition fees and 8% in housing and residence fees were also approved,” Lacea Loader, director of communication and brand management confirmed.

Rhodes University has not made a formal announcement on the fee increase, but a decision was taken at a council meeting last week to increase the fees.

“Given the minister of higher education and training’s recommendation that university tuition fee increases should not exceed 8% it was agreed at the council meeting that 2017 tuition and residence fees be increased by 8%.

"The majority of students will not experience the fee increase because the state will pay for all families with an income below R600 000,” Veliswa Mhlope, communications manager for Rhodes University, told City Press.

“Due to various factors, including the slow economic growth rate in the country, increasing demands on government resources and decades of funding backlogs, Stellenbosch University is of the opinion that fee-free higher education currently is not feasible.

"Studies have also shown that in the developing world fee-free higher education has tended to benefit the upper middle class and very affluent sectors of the population rather than the poor,” Stellenbosch University said in a statement.

Wits announced its increase earlier this week. Should the university not increase its fees, it would face a deficit for the 2017 academic year of R191 million. With the 8% increase, this amount goes down to R56.5 million.

The university said it did take into account the views of the students.

“The decision on the 2017 fee increase was recommended by management and the financial committee of the university and approved by council after consultation with the elected students’ representative council.

"The students council is represented on the financial committee and council, and had requested a 0% increase in tuition fees for 2017. Their input was considered and deliberated extensively before the final decision was made,” Wits said.

The students council was disappointed by the decision.

“We have, throughout the year, made it very clear that anything more than 0% is unacceptable.

"The university had sufficient time to pool its resources in an attempt to avoid a fee increment. It is clear that the university had no intention of pronouncing 0%,” the students council said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the University of Cape Town council will be voting on Saturday on fees for the 2017 academic year.

Tomorrow, the University of Johannesburg will be announcing its fee structure, and the University of the Western Cape will be having its meeting next Wednesday, with an announcement on the fees for 2017 expected on December 15.

Avantika Seeth
Multimedia journalist
City Press
p:+27 11 713 9001
w:www.citypress.co.za  e: avantika.seeth@citypress.co.za
      
 
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