The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has officially announced a significant increase in tuition fees for undergraduate students, marking an increase of over 100%.
The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate on Friday, according to a statement by Mr. Effiong Eyo, the institution’s spokesperson.
The revised fees, effective from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions, vary for different categories of students and courses.
For non-science courses, freshers, returning students, and final-year students are now required to pay N111,000, N91,500, and N114,000, respectively. Additionally, they are expected to pay N36,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively, as third-party dues.
Correspondingly, fees for science courses have been increased to N155,000, N125,000, and N148,000 for freshers, returning students, and final-year students, respectively.
Third-party dues for science students have also been adjusted to N38,500, N21,500, and N21,500, respectively.
Prior to this increment, tuition fees for the average student ranged from N49,500 to N64,050, depending on the department, for returning students, final-year students, and freshers.
The university’s management justified the fee hike by citing current economic realities and the necessity to maintain the institution’s academic standards.
The move has sparked reactions among students and the public, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the education sector, particularly in the face of economic pressures.
