Students at Makerere University will not be allowed to sit examinations on partial tuition payment after Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe rejected a proposal by Guild President Gracious Kadondi seeking flexibility for financially constrained learners.
In a May 13 response to the Guild President, Prof Nawangwe said the university management could not permit students who have paid only part of their tuition to access examinations because the request contravenes the institution’s fees payment policy and government obligations.
“This is therefore to advise that you encourage students to pay fees in full before the examination period commences to avoid unnecessary inconveniences. No student will be given an examination permit without payment of fees in full,” Prof Nawangwe wrote.
The Vice Chancellor added that tuition is paid for the knowledge imparted during study, noting that examinations already attract a separate functional fee.
“Remember that fees are paid for the knowledge that is imparted and not for sitting examinations as a separate functional fee is paid for examinations,” he stated.
The response followed a May 11 appeal by Guild President Kadondi, who had asked the university to temporarily allow students who had cleared at least 60 percent of tuition to sit for a corresponding percentage of their examinations.
In her proposal, Kadondi argued that the measure would help students facing financial difficulties while still encouraging them to clear outstanding balances before completing their examination series.
“Students who have paid at least 60% of their tuition be allowed to sit for the corresponding percentage of their registered course units this semester,” Kadondi proposed.
She further suggested that students who attain 90 percent tuition clearance be granted access to all examinations, saying the arrangement would motivate learners to complete payment while allowing the university to retain leverage by withholding results and progression until balances are cleared.
The guild leadership had also requested an urgent review of Makerere’s tuition policy to create what it described as a “codified permanent favorable policy.”
However, while management accepted earlier guild appeals to waive the five percent surcharge on late tuition payment and extend the registration period without penalty, the university maintained a hardline position on examination access.
Prof. Nawangwe said the university chairperson had only approved the waiver of surcharges and extension of registration timelines, but declined the request relating to partial tuition payment and examinations.
The development comes just days before examinations are scheduled to begin on May 18, with pressure mounting from some students seeking more flexible payment arrangements amid growing financial hardship.