Exorbitant tuition, other fees threaten fresh students’ registration at Ekiti varsity

The ongoing registration of the newly admitted students of the Ekiti State University, Iwokoro, Ado Ekiti, for the 2017|2018 academic session may be in jeopardy due to alleged exorbitant tuition fees charged by the authorities of the institution.
The university management, through the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele, had recently directed that all the newly admitted students of the institution must pay all prescribed fees on or before Wednesday December 20, 2017.
Investigations, however, revealed that 40 per cent of the students that were newly admitted for Law courses were to pay over N100,000 in addition to a tuition fee of N218,000. They had earlier paid N57, 000 as acceptance fee. Other departmental levies have also been imposed on the students.
According to a source in the university, many students admitted for Law courses are already pulling out because of the inability of their parents to pay such a high
tuition fee.
Investigations also revealed that students admitted for art courses like English, Philosophy and Theatre Arts are to pay N201,000 fee, which includes the basic tuition and acceptance fee.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olubunmi Ajibade, told our correspondent that those complaining about exorbitant fees charged were not students of the institution, but aggrieved people who could not secure admission into the university, owing to their failure to meet with the academic qualifications for
admission.
He noted that rather than complaining, they should apply for scholarships, either from the Federal or state governments.
Ajibade said, “The report is not true, for any university that admits students, there are prescribed fees and dues. So, if anybody is ready for university education, they must know that education is not free anywhere.
The people who are complaining might not be students of the school, because people who have not paid school fees and acceptance fees cannot be considered as students of the institution.
“It is when people pay fees and are registered, that is when they are regarded as students. So, if anybody stays somewhere and says they cannot pay fees because it is too high, they are people who didn’t secure admission.”