UKZN faces backlash for fee increase

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s decision to increase tuition fees this year has been met with backlash.

In a communique sent to students, the university council approved a 4.7% increase for tuition fees and a 6.7% increase for student residences.

Students are also required to pay 15 per cent of their historical fees to be allowed to register.

“These increments are in line with the DHET (Department of Higher Education and Training) compact on university fees for the 2021 academic year,” said UKZN.

The statement elicited a lot of backlash and sparked the #SaveUKZNStudents movement on social media.

The hashtag accompanied posts from students asking for financial assistance with their fees.

Newly elected UKZN Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Moses Nkambako, said the university was being “unfair”.

“They are being unreasonable. It’s been an abnormal year, our parents got retrenched, died and some are not working, so it is very unfair for the university council to approve a fee increment,” said Nkambako.

“The DHET is also culpable because NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) allowances and data have not increased, and a lot of students still don’t have laptops.”

The university recently announced that all registration for this year will be completed online, meaning there won’t be on-campus assistance. Sifiso Simelane, the previous UKZN SRC President, said when the university had online registration for last year’s second semester, it was a “total disaster”.

“It does not make sense why they would increase fees when they have already signalled their intent for online learning next year so students will not be utilising most of the university’s residences,” said Simelane.

“There are some residences that have not been occupied for over seven months since March last year, but students are not being reimbursed for that instead they are expected to pay the full price.”