Headlines

Financial Hurdles: How Hike in Tuition Fees Poses Hindrance to Early Resumption

By Habibu Temako

It was a breezy time of the day when Saliman AbdulBasit, a 200-level student of Agriculture at Usman Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS) got a drink of messages on his WhatsApp departmental group.

Without a second blink, he swung to decode the content, surprisingly enough, it was a PDF delving into the grudge increment on tuition fees.

Disappointedly, he felt downcast, sensing the skyrocket in his fees from ₦74,000 to ₦94,000 disgruntled by this, his glittering mood declined because of the financial hurdles he was battling.

His only backbone for financial stalwarts is his mother although the story would have been different had his father been alive. The increment has left Abdul Basit on the red line of resuming four weeks before the exam, a habit he had never indulged in.

“I do not wish to resume this late, but the financial situation left me with no choice,” he said with a solemn voice.

Getting his transport fare was enigmatic for him, this was coupled with the demise of his father which had not only subjected them to the gloom of hardship but has trailed a distraction in his academic performance.

“ I could barely get the transport fare myself during the holiday, and neither did Mom. It wouldn’t have been like this if Dad was alive today, but I’m worried that my father’s demise has been beginning to have practical implications for academic life. Because I find it difficult to catch up with the lectures I’ve missed,” he said with a low expression

Struggles of Single Parenthood

Salima Abdulbasit is not the only one to be trapped by the scourge of the hike in tuition fees. Usman Ibrahim Boni, a 200-leve student of law was hindered from early resumption because of the scorn of single parenthood and the routine problem in every household. The demise of his father at the time of his urgent needs poses a stringent survival for him.

“My father has been a supporting hand for me to pursue my academics but his death reigned a delay in paying my school fees.

“I could not resume on time because of my ailing father who just passed away after several medical attempts of receiving treatments,” he said.

However, his background is not buoyancy but his father’s departure caused a flaw of self striving on him.

“Although my parents are not rich my father had been financially supporting me, his passing meant that I had to find other sources of funding myself and this is why I couldn’t resume early on time.”

Financial Pressure Delayed Resumption

Abubakar Abdulrazaq, a 200 level of political science could not abridge his routine of early Resumption due to the increments on the tuition fees.

His late resumption is owed to the skyrocketed tuition fees and the ennui it navigated on him.

“You see, late resumption might seem to other students as intentional. But to some of us, it owned us we necessarily have to. Although I have all my parents alive, they are under financial pressures, and I had to work with them throughout the season to meet my needs,” he said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *