KUALA LUMPUR – Undergraduates who cleared their tuition fees last semester are allowed to register for the 2022/2023 Semester 1 on the condition that they pay for the new session before the exam season, said Universiti Malaya (UM).
The university management said the relaxation of its fee policy only applies to undergraduates who do not owe fees from the previous semesters.
The university came under fire after the Universiti Malaya Students’ Union (UMSU) warned of a possible protest if UM’s management did not reverse its new policy on tuition fees. Its Zero Balance Policy requires students to pay their tuition fees in full in order to maintain “active” status.
In a statement today, the university said it had agreed to a suggestion by UMSU and that the move showed its concern for the financial burden faced by students and their parents.
It added that financially strapped students can apply to the bursary department for payments to be made via instalments, if they meet certain requirements.
The university also reiterated a handful of programmes to help students, such as discounted fees, zakat, a welfare fund, meal and lodging sponsorship, and others.
On August 10, UMSU representatives slammed the university for its eleventh-hour policy change when they delivered a memorandum on the matter.
The union’s general executive, Muhammad Noraiman Zulkifli, said the union was considering holding a rally or protest against the university if it remained silent on the demands.
“It is also undeniable that (UM) student fees are quite high (compared to other institutions).
“This is too much and painful! They (management) really don’t care about what happens to us. When we voice out our grievances, they only try to shut us up.”
The union made a total of three demands in the memorandum, which covered student fees, housing problems, and welfare.
Meanwhile, UMSU president Ooi Go Shen said the student debt collection policy must be abolished because students cannot register for courses and modules in a new semester if they fail to settle full payments at the beginning of the term.
“This will also threaten the continuity of learning for UM students from B40 and M40 (income groups) backgrounds, as well as for scholarship recipients.
“The majority of students in the B40 and M40 may not be able to make full payments at the specified time, especially since the official notice regarding this matter has not been given until now.”
In the memorandum, the union also asked that students funded by National Higher Education Fund loans, the Public Service Department, and other scholarships should be allowed to keep attending classes while waiting for their funding to be credited into their accounts. – The Vibes, August 19, 2022
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