UNAM and their bullying tactics
ANONYMOUS WRITES:
For the past four years I have been struggling with Unam, regarding their fees.
My son started studying there in 2015. They were well aware of the fact that he is living with me since 2013, is my dependent but still cannot tell me if I do have to pay SADC fees.
I am on a work permit and has 100% custody of my children. I am thus a taxpayer in Namibia. The SADC fees upped from N$800 in 2015 to N$2 500 in 2018. Thus a 300 % increase. As my son's dad is liable for 50% of his studies, I went through hell and back every year just to get a quote so that his dad can pay his half. In October 2015 I started asking for quotes for 2016. This I eventually got after driving to Unam, and tossing my toys in January 2016.
There were more people walking up and down in the office, chatting to friends on cell phones or having coffee than the two guys sitting at the windows trying to deal with the queue of people outside. If it wasn't for one of them trying to give an idea of costs (no final amount were able to be given as this was not approved in January) I would not have had anything to send to his dad.
This was repeated in 2016/2017!
With one difference. All of a sudden we had to pay N$14 000 deposit (N$6000 in 2015/2016) as well as an increase on SADC fees from N$800 to N$2 000. I had to borrow money to pay this deposit on the short notice UNAM gave me.
On top of that all international students were told on the day of registration that they now need to belong to a medical aid to be able to apply for a study permit.
Home Affairs assisted students in 2015 on campus with their study permits. Within six weeks it was approved and stamped in my son's passport. In 2017 this was only done in July!
Whilst standing in a queue at Home Affairs I witnessed on more than one occasion how students were told that their permits were not approved and that they should go back to their country. When asked about the reason - their tuition fees for the year that was paid, their medical aid that was paid, and living costs were spent - they were refused a reason for the rejection and was shouted at.
On paying my own work permit renewal in November 2017 there were still students whose study permits was not approved. They were just told “come back next week”. This is a common occurrence at all government agencies. Even the SA embassy.
In November 2017 I got a quote of N$29 272.00. I had to spend money on a lawyer's letter to the dad to get his half of the N$14 000 deposit that would be required for registration (as was told to me in November 2017).
Today, on 2 February 2018 at 08:40 pm my son was at last able to see his costs! Total N$30 070.00 with a N$17 285.00 deposit that needs to be paid. Unam thus expects from me to scratch out N$3 285.00 within seven days! Add on the N$2 000 study permit and this amount accrued to close to N$20 000 in February on very short notice.
If Unam do not change their attitude towards international students they WILL lose them. These are the student paying cash. These are the students bringing in the hard cash. On top of all of this these students pay N$2 000 per year for study permits - good revenue for Home Affairs. They pay rent, they buy food, they put petrol in their cars, and they buy clothes.
Has Unam (and Home Affairs) at all considered the amount of money foreign student bring into this country and the jobs they create when treating them in this unfair manner?
Please go and read the Facebook comments of international students in this regard.
I do know students and parents at Nust. Why could their results for 2017, costs for 2018 as well as deposit amount for 2018 appear on their portals in December 2017 and nothing at Unam, although both institutions falls under the ministry of education?
I have no idea where or how to get hold of this extra money as my son's dad are refusing the rest of his half on the deposit. Thus, another lawyer's letter.
But, if I do not pay this he will not be able to finish his final year of studies and will not be able to obtain his degree.
Fortunately for me he is staying with me, sharing my car with me. What about the foreign student that was already in Namibia, paid rent for January and February, paid the medical aid, bus/air tickets etc., not at all aware of these sudden changes in costs, how do they provide for the difference and will they be able to? Where do these kind of decisions leave these students?
I do regard this actions of Unam towards international students as bullying as they know the students has no other choice than to pay this year. I do foresee that Unam will see less and less international students due to their actions. Other institution's and Home Affairs' attitude toward international students will see to it that they get even less students.
Unam do have good lecturers. They do provide quality education for their students. Unfortunately their admin departments give them a very bad name causing students to study abroad, thus taking money out of the country.
For the past four years I have been struggling with Unam, regarding their fees.
My son started studying there in 2015. They were well aware of the fact that he is living with me since 2013, is my dependent but still cannot tell me if I do have to pay SADC fees.
I am on a work permit and has 100% custody of my children. I am thus a taxpayer in Namibia. The SADC fees upped from N$800 in 2015 to N$2 500 in 2018. Thus a 300 % increase. As my son's dad is liable for 50% of his studies, I went through hell and back every year just to get a quote so that his dad can pay his half. In October 2015 I started asking for quotes for 2016. This I eventually got after driving to Unam, and tossing my toys in January 2016.
There were more people walking up and down in the office, chatting to friends on cell phones or having coffee than the two guys sitting at the windows trying to deal with the queue of people outside. If it wasn't for one of them trying to give an idea of costs (no final amount were able to be given as this was not approved in January) I would not have had anything to send to his dad.
This was repeated in 2016/2017!
With one difference. All of a sudden we had to pay N$14 000 deposit (N$6000 in 2015/2016) as well as an increase on SADC fees from N$800 to N$2 000. I had to borrow money to pay this deposit on the short notice UNAM gave me.
On top of that all international students were told on the day of registration that they now need to belong to a medical aid to be able to apply for a study permit.
Home Affairs assisted students in 2015 on campus with their study permits. Within six weeks it was approved and stamped in my son's passport. In 2017 this was only done in July!
Whilst standing in a queue at Home Affairs I witnessed on more than one occasion how students were told that their permits were not approved and that they should go back to their country. When asked about the reason - their tuition fees for the year that was paid, their medical aid that was paid, and living costs were spent - they were refused a reason for the rejection and was shouted at.
On paying my own work permit renewal in November 2017 there were still students whose study permits was not approved. They were just told “come back next week”. This is a common occurrence at all government agencies. Even the SA embassy.
In November 2017 I got a quote of N$29 272.00. I had to spend money on a lawyer's letter to the dad to get his half of the N$14 000 deposit that would be required for registration (as was told to me in November 2017).
Today, on 2 February 2018 at 08:40 pm my son was at last able to see his costs! Total N$30 070.00 with a N$17 285.00 deposit that needs to be paid. Unam thus expects from me to scratch out N$3 285.00 within seven days! Add on the N$2 000 study permit and this amount accrued to close to N$20 000 in February on very short notice.
If Unam do not change their attitude towards international students they WILL lose them. These are the student paying cash. These are the students bringing in the hard cash. On top of all of this these students pay N$2 000 per year for study permits - good revenue for Home Affairs. They pay rent, they buy food, they put petrol in their cars, and they buy clothes.
Has Unam (and Home Affairs) at all considered the amount of money foreign student bring into this country and the jobs they create when treating them in this unfair manner?
Please go and read the Facebook comments of international students in this regard.
I do know students and parents at Nust. Why could their results for 2017, costs for 2018 as well as deposit amount for 2018 appear on their portals in December 2017 and nothing at Unam, although both institutions falls under the ministry of education?
I have no idea where or how to get hold of this extra money as my son's dad are refusing the rest of his half on the deposit. Thus, another lawyer's letter.
But, if I do not pay this he will not be able to finish his final year of studies and will not be able to obtain his degree.
Fortunately for me he is staying with me, sharing my car with me. What about the foreign student that was already in Namibia, paid rent for January and February, paid the medical aid, bus/air tickets etc., not at all aware of these sudden changes in costs, how do they provide for the difference and will they be able to? Where do these kind of decisions leave these students?
I do regard this actions of Unam towards international students as bullying as they know the students has no other choice than to pay this year. I do foresee that Unam will see less and less international students due to their actions. Other institution's and Home Affairs' attitude toward international students will see to it that they get even less students.
Unam do have good lecturers. They do provide quality education for their students. Unfortunately their admin departments give them a very bad name causing students to study abroad, thus taking money out of the country.
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