Reps charge tertiary institution to adopt semester-based school fee payment

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives has charged tertiary institutions in the country to adopt a semester-based school fee payment system, so as to ease financial burden on students.

The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to work closely with tertiary institutions and stakeholders in the
education sector to provide the necessary support for adopting the semester-based school fee payment system.

The Green chamber equally mandated its Committees on on University Education, Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to ascertain the viability of adopting a semester-based school
fee payment system. The joint Committee, which is to consider specific needs and circumstances of each institution, is expected to report back
within four weeks for further legislative action.

This is sequel to the adoption of a motion by Sa’ad Wada Taura, calling on “Nigerian Universities and Tertiary Institutions to adopt a Semester – Based School Fee Payment System”, at Thursday’s plenary.

Taura, in his motion, argued yhat annual school fees payment system in tertiary institutions poses financial challenges ob students and their families in view of the current economic realities in the country.

According to him, “the current annual school fee payment system in Nigeria presents financial challenges for
students and families given the recent subsidy removal and single-window forex policy.”

The lawmaker stated that because of the “anticipated benefits a semester-based school fee payment system for tertiary
institutions, international universities, including the University of California and the University of Sydney, recently implemented semester-based fee payment systems to maximize financial convenience and reduce the strain on students and parents.”

He posited that adopting the payment system in the country “can minimize the financial strain on students, improve
access to higher education, and create a more transparent financial structure for institutions.”