False! The University of Liberia has not changed free tuition policy

Claim: A popular social media user and a supporter of the ruling Unity Party (UP), Byron Byron, alleges that the University of Liberia has shifted from the free tuition policy under Weah and is charging “US$7 per credit hour under the new administration.  

Verdict: False! According to the Vice president for relations at the university, Attrony Norris Tweah, the information is false. DUBAWA also contacted some students of the university who denied paying tuition fees.

Full Text 

A social media influencer and supporter of the ruling Unity Party (UP), Byron Byron, has alleged that the state-owned University of Liberia (UL) has scrapped the free tuition policy implemented under the George Weah administration and is now charging $7 per credit hour.

Using his official Facebook page, Byron Byron stated, “7 dollars Per Credit Hour at UL is a good move by the rescue mission. “If education is expensive, CDCIANS should try ignorance. No Time!!”

The post had over 300 comments, over 20 shares, and over 260 emojis.

Another Liberian journalist, Austin M. Kawah, gave credence to the earlier claim by posting on his Facebook page, “There are discussions to undo the Free Tuition Policy…. There are plans to even increase the fees PCH to $7.”

In 2018, former President George Weah declared free tuition at all public universities and colleges nationwide.

The opposition community hugely criticized this policy and said proper feasibility studies were needed before the policy could be executed. 

At the same time, when the new Finance Minister, Bioma Kamara, appeared before the Liberian Senate for a confirmation hearing exercise on Wednesday, Jan 31, 2023, he told senators that the Unity Party (UP) would only support a free tuition program that is well structured and planned.

His sentiments were captured on several media outlets, including Women’s TV Liberia and Spoon TV Live.  

Before implementing the free tuition policy, the university charged its students (L$175 or US$1). It is important to state that some students benefited from financial aid from campus-based institutions and some prominent citizens in the country, including lawmakers.

So, has the government reversed the free tuition policy implemented by the erstwhile administration? 

Verification

Due to the magnitude of this topic and its importance to the country’s educational sector, DUBAWA found it necessary to ascertain the facts about the claim.

Our researcher first contacted the two claimants separately. Byron told our researcher that his post was an act of sarcasm in reaction to what he claims to be lies being propagated by the immediate past administration. He said that the Boakai government is contemplating such a plan, adding, “I did that to irritate them.” 

When the next claimant was contacted, Austin Kawah told our researcher that he could not disclose his source as an investigative journalist.

He noted, “Chief, it is highly wrong in journalism. You know I am an investigative journalist and not necessarily a fact-checker.”

Our researcher also contacted the Vice President of the University of Liberia for public relations, Attrony Norris Tweah. He told our researcher that the information was false as there was no decision reached by the UL Administration to charge students US$7.00 per credit hour at the University. 

According to Atty. Tweah, “The attention of the Administration of the University of Liberia (UL) has been drawn to information circulating on social media by some unauthorised individuals seeking to mislead our students and the public by announcing a purported tuition increase to US$7.00 per credit hour.”

“The UL Administration encourages students, staff, and the public to remain calm and only subscribe to official information regarding academic activities, which are always communicated through our various platforms as well as on public and private media outlets,” he further noted.

Our researcher also reached out to some students of the university. Felo Sackie, a sophomore student reading accounting, told DUBAWA that there had been no fees charged in terms of tuition fees.

“We are still paying the same amount we were paying before the inception of this new government, which is two thousand, five hundred-fifty Liberian dollars (US$ 14.50). Any attempt by this government to cancel the free tuition policy will be met by stiff resistance by us, the students,” Sackie said.

Fatumata Pusah, a junior student reading economics, disclosed to our researcher that she did not make any extra payments apart from what she had been paying even under the previous administration. 

“…No, I didn’t pay for any credit hour but my usual two thousand, five hundred–fifty Liberian dollars. But I think you should wait until next school year or next semester because I heard that we will pay tuition, and since this semester we didn’t pay, maybe next semester we will pay,” Ms. Pusah said.

Conclusion 

Based on the evidence gathered by our investigator, the claim that the University has changed its free tuition policy is false.