The Malawi government says it continues to shoulder the biggest share of the cost of higher education, despite increasing tuition fees for students in public universities.
Education Minister Bright Msaka told Parliament on Thursday that government spends an average of K6.7 million on each university student annually, while students are now paying K1.3 million in tuition fees following the recent adjustment.
Msaka made the remarks in response to concerns raised by Lilongwe Nyanja Member of Parliament Steve Malondera, who demanded an explanation for the increase in tuition fees from K650,000 to K1.3 million.
The minister said it currently costs government an average of K8 million to educate one student in a public university each year, with students contributing only K1.3 million while the State meets the remaining K6.7 million.
“We have to make our universities work. We have to provide quality education at the universities. We can’t allow them to close,” Msaka told Parliament, arguing that the increase was necessary to keep institutions financially sustainable amid rising operational costs.
He said the decision was reached in consultation with the Ministry of Finance after assessing the financial challenges facing public universities.
According to Msaka, maintaining low tuition without increasing funding would compromise the quality of teaching, learning and research.
To cushion vulnerable students, the minister said government has recapitalised the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board so that eligible students can access loans covering the new tuition fees. He maintained that no deserving student would fail to pursue university education because of the adjustment.
Malondera, however, argued that the fee hike would place an enormous burden on families, particularly those in rural communities that depend on farming. He maintained that education is an investment in national development and urged government to increase public funding for universities instead of shifting more costs to students.
