Students told new med fees on hold

Students were told the increased fees, by as much as $17,000, were as a result of the faculty’s $35 million debt.

The Mt Hope-based students, wearing red T-shirts, gathered outside the entrance to Tewarie’s office to highlight their concerns about increased tuition fees and other problems at the faculty.

In the mid-morning sun, some students sat on the office driveway, while others bearing placards chanted songs, beat water bottles and pieces of iron. The students’ actions forced the campus security to call for additional police from the St Joseph Police Station.

After two hours, the future doctors, vets and pharmacists eventually met with Tewarie. They demanded that members of the media also attend the meeting, but when Newsday arrived 15 minutes after the start, we were refused entry on the basis that the meeting was almost at an end. The meeting lasted more than two hours.

However, one of the spokespersons, third year medical student Lorrain Patience, told Newsday that after voicing their concerns about the tuition hike, they were told the new fees would not take effect.

She said Tewarie told them that the new fees, as stated in the financial booklets, will not take effect "as of now for local students." She said Tewarie pointed out that the fees had not yet been approved by Government. As for foreign students, most of whom are from the region and who pay fees in US dollars, Patience said it was agreed that the respective governments will first be informed of the new fee structure. Patience said the campus bursar admitted that contributing countries to UWI were not told. She said students were also assured that the deadline for payment will be extended to the end of October. The original deadline was yesterday. As a result, the late fee of $400 will be waived.

Patience said medical students’ fees increased from $35,000 to $40,000 and clinical fees for pharmacists moved from $3,300 to $20,000.

She said students were told that the faculty incurred the $35 million debt through the payout of recently increased salaries, and for the upkeep of the faculty. She said Tewarie has given an undertaking to carry out an audit on the faculty’s finances and human resources before the end of October.

As for the conditions at the faculty classrooms — faulty air conditioning, no student cafeteria, tardy shuttle service and lack of space in the amphitheatres, Patience said Tewarie promised to visit the faculty before the end of this week in order to make recommendations on its improvement.