Uganda Govt Grant S.Sudanese Student To Pay Local Fees In Public Universities

The Kampala government has accepted a proposal by the South Sudan government to allow its students pay similar tuition fees like Ugandans in public universities.

This means South Sudanese students studying in the six public universities will no longer pay tuition fees in dollars like it is the case with other foreign students. The proposal is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which both countries are yet to sign.

However, the government is still reluctant to accept a proposal to grant 2,030 scholarships to South Sudan students to study in public universities including Makerere, Kyambogo, Busitema, Mbarara, Gulu and Muni.

“…the President has already given us a green light to allow them (South Sudanese) enjoy the same benefits like local students and the ministry of Education is going to write to all the public universities to ensure that they implement this directive ,” said Higher Education minister John Chrysostom Muyingo. Currently, South Sudanese are charged an extra $200 (Shs507,390) to $300 (Shs761,085) fee as part of tuition fees at universities.

The minister made the disclosure last Friday while meeting South Sudan’s deputy minister for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Bol Makueng Yuol in Kampala.

Mr Bol, who led a delegation to discuss contents of the draft MoU, whose signing has partly been delayed by the insurgency in Africa’s newest state.