Skip to content
PDBY
Primary Navigation Menu
Menu
  • News
  • Features
  • Entertainment
  • Sport
  • Online Exclusive
  • PDBY Videos
  • Advertising
  • About us

UP International Students Petition for Lockdown Aid


NOKWANDA KUBHEKA

The SRC Postgraduate and International Students Affairs office with University of Pretoria International (UPI) Student Society have raised concerns with the university. They argue that international students, some of whom are paying higher fees than local students, have not received aid from UP during the national lockdown. The petition requests that they be exempted from paying residence fees since they are not using the facilities, a fee adjustment of 20% to 25%, and no fee increment for international students for the 2021 to 2022 financial calendar.

They also request that UP forms a solidarity fund aimed at assisting international students with tuition credit, that UP designs a program that will assist international students who failed their 2020 academic year due to online learning, that UP allows owing students to reregister for the 2021 academic year, and for all international students to be able to access their academic transcripts and be able to peruse them despite not being up to date with tuition fee payments.

 

“…international students, some of whom are paying higher fees than local students, have not received aid from UP during the national lockdown.“

 

Chairperson of UPI, Elma Akob, highlighted that UP cannot assist students with data like they did with students in South Africa, even though data charges in countries like Zimbabwe and Eswatini can be up to five times more than in South Africa, which is a significant financial burden on international students. Akob mentions that their aim is not to take away from the challenges that local students are facing, but to speak up for international students who need assistance from UP. International students have been informed that they have to pay R470 (Africa) or R580 (rest of the world) to get graduation certificates couriered to them during this lockdown period.

On 23 July, the SRC released a memorandum stating that they have no control in letting international students back into the country and their residences. Under the current national state of disaster, in which the government has enforced border closures, international students who returned to their home countries during the lockdown will be permitted to return to campus only when level one of the national lockdown is announced. According to the memorandum, these international students will be supported through remote learning until they return. UP will also implement tailored catchup plans on their return.

 

“…data charges in countries like Zimbabwe and Eswatini can be up to five times more than in South Africa…“

 

The petition currently has over 380 signatures, with a goal of 1000. The organisers of the petition implore UP to be sensitive to the fact that students could not plan for this pandemic and ask that they be willing to apply change in their policies to ease the financial strain on international students and hope to receive assistance like NSFAS students.

 

Illustration: Giovanna Janos

2020-08-04
Prev Post
Next Post

FLIP through PDBY

18 May 2020 Issue 8 Year 82

PDBY - Print, Digital, and Broadcast Youth media - Independent student newspaper of the University of Pretoria

Like PDBY News

0
  PDBY Media Like
  PDBY Media Follow
  PDBY News Follow
  PDBY Video Subscribe

Work at PDBY

Entertainment

Pssst…
Pdby NewsOctober 27, 2020

Pssst… has been busy.

Pssst…

Pdby News - October 27, 2020

Coctail Corner : Recipe

Pdby News - October 27, 2020

How Jerusalema Took the World by Storm

Pdby News - October 27, 2020

There’s aThere’s a conspiracy theoryconspiracy theory for that!

Pdby News - October 27, 2020

Most Popular

Racism alleged at Aandklas

Pdby News - November 23, 2020

The future of legal cannabis in South Africa

Pdby News - November 15, 2020

EFFSC to challenge presidential elections at High Court: Is there a fourth presidential candidate?

Pdby News - October 31, 2020

Bluetooth-powered COVID-19 Contact Tracing App launched in South Africa

Pdby News - September 6, 2020

Meet the Team

Prof. Kupe visits PDBY
Pdby NewsMay 7, 2019

And we made him all uncomfortable on our couch.

News

UP vets save lives of two dogs using ground breaking technique

Pdby News - February 16, 2021

Sports

SEMLI leading athlete research trial

Pdby News - October 27, 2020

EDITORS PICKS

EFFSC to challenge presidential elections at High Court: Is there a fourth presidential candidate?
Pdby NewsOctober 31, 2020

SUSANNA ANBU, KAYLA THOMAS and LEAH REES On 25 October, PDBY received an anonymous tip that the Constitutional Tribunal (Student Court of UP) was in the process of drafting a binding order to reinstate an applicant’s name on the presidential ballot list for the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.

POPULAR POST

Racism alleged at Aandklas

Pdby News - November 23, 2020

The future of legal cannabis in South Africa

Pdby News - November 15, 2020

EFFSC to challenge presidential elections at High Court: Is there a fourth presidential candidate?

Pdby News - October 31, 2020

POPULAR CATEGORY

 
  • Features
  • Entertainment
  • Sport
  • Online Exclusive
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About us
 

ABOUT US

PDBY is the official student newspaper of the University of Pretoria (http://www.up.ac.za).
The first issue of PDBY hit the streets in 1939. Today PDBY has established itself as one of the leading student publications in South Africa.

Contact us: pdby@up.ac.za

FOLLOW US