Education

Nigerian Students Face Expulsion from UK Universities Over Tuition Fees

Written by Jerry Alomatu on May 23, 2024

News Views: 293

A group of Nigerian students at Teesside University in the United Kingdom is facing expulsion from their courses and ordered to leave the country due to difficulties in paying their tuition fees on time, according to a report by the BBC.

The students attributed their financial struggles to the devaluation of the naira, which made it challenging for them to meet their tuition obligations, resulting in a breach of visa sponsorship requirements. Consequently, some students were barred from continuing their studies, reported to the Home Office, and instructed to depart the UK.

The university cited strict external regulations as the reason for taking such action, leaving the affected students distressed and disappointed, feeling that the institution lacked empathy and failed to provide adequate support.

Expressing their grievances, a group of 60 students, who chose to remain anonymous, called on the university to offer assistance after witnessing several of their peers facing severe consequences for failing to meet payment deadlines. These students recounted being abruptly locked out of their university accounts and forcibly withdrawn from their courses.

Adenike Ibrahim, one of the affected students, shared her distressing experience, revealing that despite having paid 90 percent of her tuition fees and attending all her classes, her visa was revoked, and she was ordered to leave the country.

Another student, Esther Obigwe, spoke of her battle with depression resulting from the situation, stating that her attempts to communicate her financial difficulties to the university went unanswered until she was barred from her studies and instructed to leave the UK.

Jude Salubi, pursuing a degree in social work, found himself in a similar predicament, being informed of the suspension of his university access and the requirement to leave the country amid a critical placement.

In response, a spokesman for Teesside University acknowledged the institution’s obligations regarding visa compliance and expressed awareness of the financial challenges faced by some students. The university claimed to have offered customized payment plans to students upon request, although some still defaulted on these arrangements.

The Home Office clarified that decisions regarding visa sponsorship were within the purview of the sponsoring institution, emphasizing that individuals facing visa curtailment or cancellation should take steps to regularize their stay or arrange for departure from the UK.