Disaster Looms University Students In Finland As They Face Deportation Due To Non-Payment Of Fees

Post by : Hillary Musyoki

Students From Uasin Gishu County Studying at Tampere University in Finland face deportation due to non-payment of fees.

The school’s administration has given the students up to end of this week to settle the fee balances or have their studies stopped and be sent back home.

Uasin Gishu government is on the spot over the non-payment of fees even after acquiring funds from parents.

A report shows that 111 of the 202 students are at Tampere University , while 25 are at Jyvaskyla University are affected. This comes after the county government revealed that 384 students have been enrolled for various courses in Finland.

During a press briefing, Governor Jonathan Bii confirmed the threats by the University and disclosed tat the management had refused to continue the students’ stay to enable their parents to settle their fees’

“We have 111 students pursing degree and diploma courses at Tampere University and they had up to the end of last month to settle pending fees,’ the government said.

Students

The Deputy Governor, John Bororot said that degree students are each required to pay 5,000, while diploma counterparts pay 4000 in Finland Currency.

“We are working around the clock to assist parents to pay the fees” said Mr. Barorot, noting that the county government has approached some financial institutions to offer loans to parents.

“Payment of fees for the second semester is due on March 31, while the deadline for the payment for students at Tampere University has lapsed,” said Mr Bii.

The first group of the said students left Kenya between September 2021 and 2022.

However Mr.Bii distanced his administration from the issue , he even expressed willingness to have the continued, terming it good for the count despite the issues facing it.

He has appealed to parents of the affected students to pay the fees for their children as agreed with other stakeholders.

According to him, the additional 384 students to set to join Finland have already completed their first semester online and have already obtained visas to study.

Mr. Bii also said that the programme was being managed independently of the devolved unit.

Scholarships

The county government, under former Governor Jackson Mandago, had acted as guarantors to enable the students to pursue studies and work in inland , but parents were expected to pay fees.

“The Offers is not a scholarship but parents have to meet the education fees of their children. the role of the county government was purely to act as guarantor,’ explained Mr. Barorot.