Teesside University in the United Kingdom has initiated a program to support Nigerian students facing severe financial difficulties by funding their flights home.
This comes after numerous students were expelled from their courses and ordered to leave the UK due to unpaid tuition fees.The financial crisis in Nigeria, compounded by the university’s change from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment plan, has left many students unable to cover their expenses.
This situation has severely impacted the Nigerian student community, with a local food charity reporting that 75% of its clients are Nigerian students.
On May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were expelled and instructed to leave the UK due to their inability to pay tuition fees on time. The students cited the devaluation of the naira as a major obstacle to meeting their financial obligations, leading to a breach of their visa sponsorship requirements.
Many students found themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and ordered to leave the UK. The university stated that these actions were necessary due to strict external regulations.
The affected students, numbering 60, expressed profound distress and disappointment, accusing the university of being unsupportive and “heartless.” They united to urge the university for assistance after seeing their peers face severe consequences for late payments.
On May 29, 2024, the Nigerian Federal Government intervened through a delegation led by Ambassador Christian Okeke from the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, along with leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, who met with the university’s management to seek a resolution. Following these discussions and subsequent protests, the university re-enrolled some of the affected students and established a relief fund.
“We are working with a small group who need to return to their home country and are opening an international relief fund to offer additional financial support for these unexpected travel costs,” a university spokesperson told the BBC. The university is also providing options for some students to complete their studies remotely from Nigeria or to return to the UK at a later date.
