Some Nigerian students have protested on campus after Teesside University threw off their university programmes and ordered them to leave the United Kingdom, according to BBC.
The students carried placards on Tuesday morning to register their frustrations following the school decision resulting from the devaluation of the naira that has made them struggle to pay tuition fees on time.
Teesside University students were blocked from their studies and reported to the Home Office after the value of Nigeria’s naira fell, wiping out their savings.
Some disclosed that they felt suicidal as they accused the university of taking a “heartless” approach to those who fell into arrears as a consequence.
A university spokesman said failure to pay was a breach of visa sponsorship requirements, and that it had “no choice” but to alert the Home Office. The Home Office said visa sponsorship decisions rested with the institution.
These young learners face difficulties as Nigeria is currently experiencing an unfavourable economic crisis, which is having a significant impact on Nigerian students at some UK universities.
Before beginning their studies at Teesside, affected students were told they had to present evidence of having enough funds to pay tuition fees and living expenses, but funds were significantly depleted as a result of the crisis in Nigeria.
This worsened financial problems already being experienced by students as a result of the university changing tuition fee payment plans from seven instalments to three.
Consequently, a group of students, 60 of whom shared their names with the BBC, began pressing the university for support after a number of people who defaulted on payments were frozen out of university accounts and involuntarily withdrawn from their courses.
While some were reportedly also contacted by debt collection agencies contracted by the university, some of them like Adenike Ibrahim who was close to graduation had her visa revoked.
Adenike Ibrahim was close to handing in her dissertation at the end of two years of study when she missed one payment and was then kicked off her course and reported to the Home Office.
She subsequently paid the outstanding fees, but said she had not been re-enrolled and was told she must leave the country, along with her young son.
“I did default [on payments], but I’d already paid 90% of my tuition fees and I went to all of my classes,” she said.
“I called them and asked to reach an agreement, but they do not care what happens to their students.”
She said the experience was “horrendous” and she did not know what was happening with her qualification.
