Campus Buzz: Students react to UNICAL recent school charges adjustment

…Says management inconsiderate

In response to the University of Calabar’s recent announcement of a slight adjustment in undergraduate school charges, students across campus expressed a mix of curiosity and concern.

As news spread, discussions echoed in lecture halls and dormitories, with some students questioning the rationale behind the adjustment. The Registrar,Gabriel Egbe, emphasised that the decision resulted from an emergency meeting of the University Senate held on December 1, 2023.

The subtle increase in school charges, set to be implemented for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions, left students contemplating its potential impact on their budgets. While the adjustment was described as slight, its significance varied among different academic levels.

Edugist speaking with a 200L student who want to remain anonymous expressed that the management of the school is inconsiderate and it is shameful.

“We are not surprised that this is happening but all I know is that management is seriously inconsiderate and this is shameful”.

“The VC must go as she is raising nothing but puppets and stooges as you see from our weak union”.

The students in a video obtained by Edugist raised their voice in calling for the resignation of the VC. “They VC must go”.

A recent graduate of the institution also told Edugist reporter that the fees are high and before students are allowed to pay at once but now it is different.

First- and second-year students (100L and 200L) were directed to make their payments through the portal https://portal.unical.edu.ng. Meanwhile, students in higher levels (400L and above) were instructed to use myunical.edu.ng. Interestingly, third-year students (300L) were advised to continue using the same payment portal as the previous session.

As the campus adapted to this change, students shared their thoughts on social media platforms, initiating conversations about the evolving landscape of higher education costs. The university administration assured students that the adjustment was necessary to maintain the quality of education and university facilities.

While the financial impact was acknowledged, students collectively navigated the adjustment, embracing a shared sense of resilience as they continued their academic journey at the University of Calabar.

As of the time of filing this story this report the students are protesting the fees hike. Read more reactions extracted from WhatsApp.

he students are protesting.