Parents, students breathe sigh of relief after university settles fee issue

UNIVERSITY of Papua New Guinea students and their parents and guardians are grateful to the university council for changing its mind on a proposed increase in tuition fees.
The university council, after meeting with government officials last week, decided to revert to last year’s tuition fees across all its faculties.
Student Marylouise Avu said she was now at peace and looking forward to going back to complete her law degree. “I am pleased that the Government has looked into it and the school fees will remain the same as last year,” she said
“I was the first person to come out to the media to raise this and then a few others followed.”
Jeremiah Loriko, who is currently supporting his three siblings study at UPNG, said it was relief to learn about the decision.
He said he and his family could not afford over K20,000 to support his siblings, given the short notice provided by the university.
“I really appreciate the intervention of the O’Neill Government and I hope the council, too, will make a fair decision for the parents,” Loriko told The National.
“Most of the students come from remote areas and UPNG is one of the Government institutions they have hoped to attend.”
A parent who does not want to be named also thanked the Government and urged the university to consider students whose parents earned very little annually.
Following meetings between the university council and Higher Education Minister Pila Ninigi, it was decided that the 2018 fees would remain the same as last year’s.
Last year’s compulsory fees were K2939 for students at the Waigani campus, K3029 for Taurama
Health Science, K3180 for Nursing and K3275 for Medicine programmes.
The UPNG council had announced a K7500 compulsory fee for this year for students at the Waigani campus and those taking up Health
Science at Taurama but then agreed to return to last year’s fees after meeting the Minister for Higher Education.