Times Of Swaziland: 100 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ FUTURE IN LIMBO

100 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ FUTURE IN LIMBO
================================================================================
BY EUGENE DUBE on 04/03/2014 04:48:00


NHLANGANO – Over 100 students at the Swaziland Christian Medical University
who did not get scholarships have been told to settle their tuition fees.
These are students who have outstanding tuition fees.
The university informed the students that they must pay their owed tuition fees
or will not return to class.
The students have said the tuition fees are very high and they cannot pay them
immediately.
Most affected are students who are doing Nursing, Counselling, Medical
Laboratory and Radiography.
Information gathered by the Times is that the university wrote letters to all
students who have not paid the required tuition fees.
Over 300 students are enrolled at the university.
The students told the Times that they appealed to the Ministry of Labour and
Social Security for scholarships and are still awaiting feedback.
The affected first year students are said to be owing about E28 000 each.
They were given January 31, 2014 as their deadline but failed to pay the money
on time.
According to the university student credit policy; “All the fees were supposed
to have been paid by January 31, 2014.
“As a result of the delay, the outstanding amount has attracted a 10 per cent
collection fee,” reads part of the letter written to the students by the
university.
“You are required to settle the outstanding amount with the 10 per cent
collection fee with immediate effect or you will not be allowed to continue with
your studies.
“Furthermore, the university will take legal action against you,” reads part
of the letter.
The tuition fee letter was signed by the university’s Collections Manager
Sanele Magagula.
When called, the institution’s Public Relations Officer Philemon Mngati
confirmed the matter.
“Yes we have a number of students at the university who have been encouraged
to pay their owed tuition fees.
They were supposed to pay the fees in January but failed,” he said.