DESPITE the objection of the student population, members of the University of Guyana (UG) Council voted to hike tuition fees at its March 20, extra-ordinary meeting.
A statement from UG on Thursday noted that the decision was made following intense discussions at the meeting, which was chaired by Chancellor, Eon Nigel Harris.
“In making the decision the Council examined the University’s projected budget deficit, the pressing needs of the University, and projected alternative income streams,” stated the release.
It was outlined that the increase will be applied to tuition fees for all programmes and for both continuing students and new students for the 2017-2018 academic year. The statement noted that input from the University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) was considered, leading to an incremental roll out, where continuing students will now pay an increase of 15 per cent (about G$2500 a month), and new students will be required to pay 18 per cent (about G$3000 a month).
The Council also decided to incrementally increase the tuition fee by 10 per cent for the 2018-2019 academic year for all students and a further 10 per cent for all students for 2019-2020. According to the statement, before the decision was taken, comparative data on private high schools and Universities in Guyana and the Caribbean region were examined.

It was found that the tuition and fees at all the institutions examined were found to be several times higher than those of UG and even with the unavoidable adjustments, fees at UG will still be ‘comparatively lower,’ the statement explained.

BURDENSOME
Meanwhile, President of the UGSS, Ron Glasgow, told Guyana Chronicle that he is not in agreement with the increase, noting that students will not accept it.
“The fees are exorbitant and burdensome,so we will not stand for it…coupled with the increased taxes and so forth, it will be almost impossible to afford the tuition fee,” lamented Glasgow.
The UGSS President stated that his administration plans to meet with the students in order to derive a plan of action against the increase. However, the UG statement noted that the Council also authorised the UG Administration to commence negotiations with the two University Unions for remuneration packages based on what the University could afford.
The Council received clarification from the Ministry of Finance that the claim by the unions that the Government of Guyana had provided a fixed sum of money for salaries, which would amount to a 15 per cent salary increase, was inaccurate.
“In this context, the UG Administration will continue to analyse the University’s budget to determine the fullest possible extent of affordability,” stated that release.
The UG council also emphasised that staff performance will be a key factor in determining salaries and benefits, whether monetary or non-monetary.