Parents Protest as Ebonyi Varsity Increases Fees Sharply

Parents and guardians of students at David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State, have expressed outrage over the recent hike in school fees announced by the university’s management.

The new fee structure, revealed in documents from the university’s Bursary Department and Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jesse Uneke, shows that fees for Medicine and Surgery rose by approximately 42.86%, from N1,300,000 in the 2023/2024 academic session to N1.5 million for 2025/2026. Similarly, fees for Pharmacy and Nursing Sciences increased from N730,000 to N1.5 million, representing a 43.84% rise.

Speaking with South East Punch in Abakaliki, parents condemned the sudden increase amid ongoing economic hardship in the country.

Chief Ozor, a businessman, lamented, “I cannot afford to pay nearly N3 million to process admission for my two children studying Medicine and Surgery and Pharmacy respectively. This is a Federal University, not a private institution. Even private universities don’t charge fees this high.”

He acknowledged that the fees cover accommodation but insisted the amount remains unreasonably high. “We appeal to the Ministry of Education to intervene and reduce these fees to an affordable level for ordinary parents. Even universities like UNN charge around N200,000. Did they build hostels with gold? I almost didn’t believe the fees were this high,” he added.

Mrs. Roseline, a retired civil servant whose daughter was admitted to study Medicine and Surgery, described the situation as helpless. “We retirees may not be able to meet these new fees unless there is intervention,” she said.

She called on the Federal Ministry of Education to investigate the fee hike. “The Federal Government funds the staff and many projects at the university, so where is the money going? If 3,000 students each pay N1 million, that’s about N3 billion from basic fees alone. Plus, students who fail exams must pay 50% of fees to resit. This needs urgent scrutiny so no child is denied education they earned by merit,” Mrs. Roseline urged.

Attempts to contact the university’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Daphine, for comment were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered as of Monday.

Parents are now appealing for swift government intervention to address the escalating fees and safeguard access to education at the federal institution.