Kamapala-The Makerere University administration has been forced to reverse functional fees following complaints by students that the charges were inflated.
The reversal follows communication from the office of the Guild president to the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC), Finance and Administration, about a billing error that reflected an overstated cost of Shs21, 000 on the financial statements of several 3rd to 5th year students.
“Following the complaints from students regarding the errors in charging some functional fees, my office issued a circular announcing the reversals with immediate effect,” read a circular by the DVC Finance and Administration Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe dated April 17, but which was distributed to distributed yesterday to students.
However, the development has caused serious concern, with most would-be beneficiaries saying they had seen the circular a couple of days into the month May, communicating that the deadline for the aggrieved students to benefit from the reversal is April 30.
First and second year students admitted for the academic year 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 are required to pay an amount of Shs30,000 each covering fees for the Senior Common Room (5000), Guild (10,000) and sports (15,000), and these will not benefit from the reversals because they were not affected.
Students currently in third year (2012/2013) are required to pay Shs12, 000 covering the SCR fees (1,000), guild fees (10,000) and a sports contribution of Shs1, 000. Reversals shall be effected on students in this category if they have been charged Shs30, 000 per year instead of the ideal Shs12, 000.
Students of the academic year 2011/2012, currently in fourth year are required to pay a total amount of Shs3,000 covering guild fees, sports contribution and the SCR; each Shs1,000.
Students currently in fifth year (academic year 2010/2011) are also required to pay the same amount as the fourth year students and both categories will be refunded if they have been paying Shs30,000 as functional fees.
Meanwhile, Prof. Nawangwe has said that a ‘special complaint station’ had been set up in the Senior Common Room at the university’s main building, to address queries.
“Any student who may still be affected by this error should immediately contact the complaint station for rectification of the error,” said Prof. Nawangwe in a letter addressed to the students’ Guild office.
