UPNG needs K30,000 per student, says VC

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
THE University of PNG needs K30,000 to cater for each of 4000 students a year, according to Vice-Chancellor Vincent Malaibe.
“The K30,000 was approved by the National Executive Council in 2013. That’s the average cost for a university student per annum,” he said.
“Instead of charging for each programme, they came up with that average cost.
“The fees (revised 2018 fees) that the university council has approved is below the average cost. So we are within the NEC decision.
“The issue is basically K30,000 per year for our current enrolment of 4000 students.”
He said they should, therefore, be running the university for K120 million.
“But we don’t have K120 million. That’s the problem,” he said.
“The amount parents are giving is not within the K30,000.
“They still owe us K2.4 million for second semester last year.
“The university is owed K7.5 million by students who did not pay.”
Deputy Secretary Operations Steven Matainoho said the Office of Higher Education assessed that an average cost of higher education per student per year was K30,000 per student in 2012.
He said this was determined following an inventory study conducted in 2011.
“This report was submitted to the then minister David Arore who took it to the National Executive Council,” he said.
“They endorsed the cost (in 2013).” Matainoho said school fees were subsidised by the government, internal revenue of the school and the Tertiary Education Students Assistant Scheme.
“Parents pay the remaining,” he said.
“NEC has directed a unified funding model which the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology is now working on.”
According to the 2017 Budget, the University of Papua New Guinea was allocated K69,254,000.