LUMS students are raising their voice against University for fee hike

Lahore: Students of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have started a petition campaign to challenge the unaffordable increase in the tuition fee of the university.

The students have raised their voice against the sudden increase in the costs and against also the policy of university which states that:

“Tuition and fees are subject to change without any notice.”

The online request states that:

“The cost of attendance has been raised up by almost 10% suddenly. There exists no policy to challenge this increase as LUMS maintains the tuition and fees are subject to change without any notice.”

The online appeal also said that that tuition fee per semester had been increased from Rs252,000 (fee in 2015-2016) to Rs272,400 for fall (2016-17). It demanded that for the registered students tuition fee should be same at the level it was in the year of registration. It also said the university should increase tuition fees just for new aspirants however keep constant the amount charged in the first year thru the course of their degree programme.

Muhammad Zain Qasmi, a LUMS graduate, started the appeal in the name of the LSAAC at the online forum: change.org. Up till now it has attracted 1,161 signatories. Change.org sends a letter on behalf of the petitioners to the gatherings addressed in petitions if they get at least 1,000 signatures.

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In the appeal, Qasmi said that self-paying students comprised a large percentage of LUMS learner body. Parents use all their resources as well as the savings of their life to send their children to the LUMS, it added.

He furthermore complained that the University “earns millions in donations, funding from international companies etc all of which goes into its colonizing plans instead of keeping the cost of attendance down.”

The Vice Chancellor of LUMS Sohail Naqvi said students granted admission to a degree programme who were unable to afford the tuition fee could avail the financial support provided by the varsity.

He completely rejected the statement that the LUMS was only affordable for the aspirants belonging from very wealthy backgrounds.

Further he added that LUMS was not receiving any financial aid from the government.

“It is a not-for-profit institute. The tuition income just partially pays for the working expenditures. All new projects like Law School and student hostels are paid for from the private donations,” he added.

He said the university had announced an 8% increase in tuition fee and not the 10% figure quoted in the appeal.

“We are committed to offer the high quality education at the most affordable cost,” he said.