Over 800 varsity students fail to pay fees at CUHAS-Bugando
Dar es Salaam.At least 850 students who enroll at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (Cuhas) fail to pay fees due to economic challenges facing their families, authorities revealed on Friday November 15.
Speaking during the 12th Cuhas graduation ceremony held in Mwanza, the Director of Bugando Medical Centre (BMC)Prof Abel Makubi called on stakeholders, policymakers and the society at large to help in finding a lasting solution to the financial challenges facing the students.
In a speech he read on behalf of Cuhas’ university council chairman, Prof Makubi said there were other students (about 3 percent)who completely fail to register for studies due to the same challenge.
“We are thankful that the loans board has helped a number of students to pay the fees but quite a good number of them don’t complete their payment, despite the fact that our university offers some of the lowest rates among private universities. And, the charges are below the Student Unit Cost which was introduced few years ago,’’ he added.
He said some students get scholarships from various stakeholders, such as the Olive Luena Education Trust (OLET), Schullemann Foundation, and a benefactor through Cornell University in United States who have helped fund studies for some of the students. “…but most of them can’t affords the fees,” he emphasized.
This year, 726 students graduated from Cuhas in various courses, an increase of 14.2 per cent from those that graduated last year, says Cuhas’ Vice Chancellor, Prof Paschalis Rugarabamu.
