MICHAEL ABONEKA: How universities are ripping-off students with exorbitant graduation fees for virtual Graduations

As the economy is healing from the wounds occasioned by COVID-19, it is unfair that Universities and other institutions are charging students and parents exorbitant graduation fees, moreover for Virtual Graduation.

The fee is mandatory for everyone to graduate. I thought what determines whether the student can graduate, or not is the academic requirements, that they have obtained the relevant GPA to graduate and not whether they have paid graduation fees or not. It is therefore wrong and illegal to deny students to graduate-obtain their academic documents simply because they did not pay graduation fees and yet they met all the academic qualifications.

I have made research and many Universities are charging between UGX 150,000 to UGX 500,000 as graduation fees for the students before they graduate; virtually. One wonders what the Graduation fee is for. What costs is the University going to incur for the Virtual Graduation that warrant students to pay the exorbitant fees? Why would a student whose parent lost a job due to COVID-19 pay UGX 500,000 as graduation fees after toiling to pay tuition for the 3,4 and 5 years? This is unfair and cheating parents and students.

I have asked some Universities to explain to the Public what exactly entails graduation fees, but in Vain. I am still wondering what the graduation fees caters for. Is this just another money making scheme by these institutions. It is unfair to pay millions of Tuition (which includes administration and “other fees”) for 3, 4 or 5 years to an institution and the Institution cannot even give back by simply arranging a seat and tent for its would be Alumni; the students having contributed in many aspects to the University MUST pay for the tent and Chair for the graduation? This is sad and unfair.

Even if this is the case, hiring of a plastic chair is not more than UGX 500, neither is the 100 seater tent which does not exceed UGX 250,000 nor the Graduation Book. If a university is graduating 1,000 students each paying UGX 500,000 this amounts to UGX 500,000,000. How much will the graduation books (which are not necessary),tents and chairs cost? Where will the balance from the UGX 500,000,000 go?

I find it inexcusable for institutions of higher learning to continue charging these exorbitant fees without justification, it defeats the purpose of accessing quality education as per the SDG 4. I call upon all students, parents, Ministry of Education to reign in on this new money heist by these institutions.