IN light of the recent six per cent increase in residence fees at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, the Inter-Campus Guild Council (ICGC) has called for the administration of all UWI campuses to justify tuition and residence fee increases whenever they are done and assess the sanctions towards students with outstanding fees.

Davianne Tucker, president of the Mona Campus Guild of Students, at a press conference to discuss the decisions made at the Mona leg of the ICGC meetings, said that as it relates to the Cave Hill campus where – unlike Mona – students are still barred or charged for outstanding fees, better financing opportunities need to be put in place for students.

“What you access from your tuition as a student is very different from your residential fees, so essentially you ought not to be held back for any kind of payment that would be outstanding in that regard — your residence fees,” Tucker said. “It’s very critical given the harsh economic constraints of the Cave Hill campus where students are required to pay some percentage, which was unlike years before, so we’re going to be working with administration to have that separated so students essentially have better opportunities as it relates to payment on the Cave Hill campus.”

Additionally, she said that the student government body at Mona was also not in support of how hall and residence fees are costed.

“In the Jamaican context it is very difficult to make payments as it relates to tertiary education. Taking tuition and residence fee in mind, how we approach costing of anything has to have bearing and also has to reflect what the context is,” she said.

Subsequently, she said there needs to be adequate reason given to students for fee increases.

“In our opinion, it’s sort of haphazardly done. We don’t exactly see the justification sometimes of why increases are done, it just seems to happen and so for example with the stance we took on the increases recently, which is the six per cent, is sort of a negotiations and bargaining as to the conditions that we have versus what we’re actually paying for,” Tucker said.

Moreover, she said that while no increase in fees was made for the 2014/2015 academic year, there are still economic constraints and as such, administration must first assess how to cut cost and take students and their pockets into consideration, before increasing fees.

She said: “I had a meeting with the principal and I stated that at every point that we can reduce a cost or reasonably increase it, that’s what needs to be focused on — not just increasing this one big number. Look at it and ask what do we need and what can we do away with, because a balance needs to be struck. Also, how the increases are done, which is the critical point is not just doing it because things are increasing or doing it because it has to happen year after year — no, not in that means. There has to be justification given.”

With regards to how then will the university survive and run its operations, Tucker maintained that while she believes in supporting the financial viability of her organisation given the constraints that exists for both parties — students and the UWI — what needs to happen is a balance with how the costing is done and how essentially the increases are looked at.

“Yes, we’re a business and we have bills to pay and we have persons to pay and so on, but the truth is a balance has to be struck. Now, naturally, the office of the guild president sits on this committee that makes these kinds of decisions. That is where that input and representation from the student body comes. Now if I’m seeing fees that look vastly exorbitant, then in striking that balance the best solution has to be provided,” she said.

“There has to be comparisons made between expenditure for the year closing versus what they’re aiming towards and looking at other means of funding just the same — not just to the pockets of students, and they’re other means of gaining funding as a business that you can look at [such as] partnerships that can be formed that are lucrative,” Tucker said.

Additionally, Dalano DaSouza, president of the Cave Hill Guild of Students, further stated that the true cost of tuition for students are subsidised, however, shortfalls do occur. He said when this happens, oftentimes tuition is increased to make up, however, like Tucker, he urged the different campus administrations to balance how the increases are done and show students why they are justified.

President of the St Augustine Campus’ Guild Makesi Peters added: “In Trinidad students receive GATE [Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme] and are required to pay registration fees, only a very small percentage are faced with hall and tuition costs. But I always ask administration if you look at it as a business, what will happen to these minority students who have to pay tuition and cover living expenses? We have to do more to ensure student population is comfortable. If you want to increase tuition or halls fees show us tangible things — you have new fridges, new microwaves.”