Teesside University in the UK has unveiled a new program to assist Nigerian students grappling with severe financial challenges by covering their flight expenses back home, according to BBC reports on Tuesday.
This initiative follows the expulsion of several students from their courses and their expulsion from the UK due to their inability to settle tuition fees.
The economic turmoil in Nigeria, worsened by the university’s transition from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment scheme, has left many students struggling to make ends meet. A local food aid organization revealed that 75% of its beneficiaries are Nigerian students, underscoring the gravity of their financial predicament.
On May 22, 2024, a cohort of Nigerian students at Teesside University faced expulsion from their courses and were instructed to depart from the UK due to challenges in meeting their tuition fee deadlines.
The students pointed to the depreciation of the naira as a significant hurdle in fulfilling their financial obligations, resulting in a violation of their visa sponsorship terms.
Numerous students discovered themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and mandated to exit the UK. The university reiterated that stringent external regulations compelled these actions.
The impacted students, totaling 60, voiced profound distress and disillusionment, accusing the university of lacking empathy and being “heartless”.
After witnessing their peers endure severe repercussions for delayed payments, they implored the university for assistance.
On May 29, 2024, the Federal Government intervened to address deportation orders issued against certain Nigerian students at Teesside University.
A delegation led by a representative from the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Ambassador Christian Okeke, alongside leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, engaged with the University’s administration to seek a resolution.
However, following protests and the intervention of the Nigerian government, the university has reinstated some affected students and established a relief fund.
“We are collaborating with a select group who need to return to their home country and are launching an international relief fund to provide additional financial aid for these unexpected travel expenses,” a university spokesperson informed the BBC.
Moreover, the university is extending the option for some students to complete their studies remotely from Nigeria or to return to the UK at a later stage.
It has come to the BBC’s attention that certain students have initiated legal appeals.
