Crisis-hit students not being removed - university

Overseas students struggling with tuition fees amid a currency crisis in Nigeria have been told they will not be removed from University of Sussex courses.

The Students' Union had revealed 1,009 students were warned in April of possible action to withdraw them from the university if they did not pay by this Friday.

On Tuesday, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Kate O’Riordan emailed students to confirm no-one has been or will be removed from courses this academic year due to debt.

It comes as Nigeria and other countries in the Global South experience record inflation and currency devaluation, the union said.

One student at Sussex said the tripled exchange rate had left them “struggling to survive”.

And last week, Nigerian students were thrown off courses at Teesside University after they struggled to pay their tuition fees.

Affected students hand-delivered a letter to university bosses at Sussex on Wednesday, the union said.

In her email, Prof O’Riordan wrote: "I wanted to write to confirm that no students have been or will be removed from their courses or threatened with removal from university accommodation this academic year due to their debt."

She said some students had their IT access withdrawn this year, but it would not happen again in this academic cycle.

However, she said students expecting to graduate in July 2024 or January 2025 had to settle debts before graduating.

She added students expecting to return in the next academic year could not re-register with outstanding debt.

The union said the university was "trying to backtrack".

A union spokesman said: "Without giving a clear extension of the current payment deadline before the 31st May, this communication does not provide students with the assurance they need in this incredibly difficult moment.

"In fact, the communication has simply added to the confusion.

"The damage has been done; the university unnecessarily put already-struggling students under further duress by waving threats of withdrawal from their courses, deportation, eviction from campus housing and more.

"The university needs to apologise to its students and then take real steps to support them."