Parents, students lament fee hike in Ondo medical school

Parents and students of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo State, have expressed shock over the hike in tuition fees.

In a new schedule released by the school management, the fees to be paid by non-indigenous students are 59 per cent higher than what indigenous students will pay.

Non-indigenous students studying medicine in the pre-clinical year are to pay N2.245million per session while indigenous students are to pay N1.320million per session.

The courses with low fees are Biochemistry and Physiology for which non-indigenous students are to pay N400, 000 while indigenous students are to pay N350, 000 per session.

Those to study Dentistry in the preclinical years would pay N2.245million for non-indigenous students and N1.320million for their indigenous counterparts.

Some parents who did not want to be named said they may withdraw their children.

One parent said: “There will be mass withdrawal. It is not realistic. Mass withdrawal is looming in the school. We were paying N350,000 and it was difficult. We know Medicine is not cheap but this is on the high side. Other state schools are running medicine but their fees are not as high as N2million.”

Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, said there was no going back on the new fee schedule.

He said the new fee was for students to be admitted to the new academic session.

He said the institution’s commitment to offering quality education would not be compromised.

“The parents have an option. It is not compulsory for their children to study here. Other medical schools are available. We run this school almost free of tuition fees. This school is a specialised school and we cannot continue with the previous fees,” he said

(The Nation)