The Sunday News
Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has re-introduced student loans, and is installing free Wi-Fi at institutions of higher learning and has released at least $6 million to each State university in order to boost operations.
In a phone interview yesterday, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira said the Government was taking possible measures to subsidise fees structures at local universities.
“As a Government we can never do enough but we are doing everything in our power to make sure that every student has access to education.
“We have introduced two types of loans that were last used in the late 90s, which are the private loan offered through Eduloan, ZB, the POSB, Getbucks and then we have introduced another scheme of loan that is targeting people who might not be fortunate which is called the Government-based loan which students will pay back when they start working.
“We have also for the first time since 2009 given universities operational money which is $6 million and the Eduzone programme that is free Wi-Fi in order to contain costs in a bid to make sure that student fees are moderated,” he said.
Prof Murwira said Government was aware of the economic hardships that many students were facing.
“These loans that are being given to students do not cover accommodation and food but are there to help operations in university meaning students are still expected to pay because even in the constitution there is nowhere whereby it is written about free education in tertiary institutions but only free basic education.
“We understand the plight that is there but something has to be done in order for these universities to be functional and offer quality education,” he said.
“Universities had proposed that fees range from $15 000 to $20 000 but we sat together with universities on 9 January and we moderated on fees to where they are now. But if people expect to lower fees below operational level it means we have to raise the tax level for everyone to make sure that we cover the gap,” said Prof Murwira.
He added that there are channels that are used when fees are being increased through university committees in which students are also represented, so it is very important that when the meetings are held students take them seriously because that is where fees proposals are deliberated on.
Many universities have implemented the new fees structure which will see most students paying between $5 000 and $8 000 for undergraduate studies.
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