Teesside University Funds Return Flight for Expelled Nigerian Students
Teesside University in the United Kingdom has launched a new initiative to aid Nigerian students suffering with severe financial constraints by funding their return flight cost home. The UK University revealed that there were initiatives to return group of students to their home country and are opening an international relief fund to offer additional financial support for these unexpected travel cost.
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Teesside University in the United Kingdom has launched a new initiative to aid Nigerian students grappling with severe financial constraints by funding their return flight cost home.
This initiative was introduced following the expulsion of several students from their courses and subsequent orders to leave the UK due to their inability to pay tuition fees.
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The financial crisis in Nigeria, worsened by the university’s shift from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment plan, has left numerous students struggling to meet their financial obligations.
A local food charity revealed that Nigerian students now make up 75 per cent of its clientele, underscoring the severity of their financial plight.
Myschoolnews reported that on May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were expelled from their courses and ordered to leave the United Kingdom due to their inability to pay their tuition fees promptly.
The students pointed to the devaluation of the naira as a significant obstacle to fulfilling their financial commitments, leading to a violation of their visa sponsorship requirements.
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Several students found themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and ordered to leave the UK. The university maintained that these actions were necessitated by strict external regulations.
The affected students, numbering 60, expressed profound distress and disappointment, accusing the university of being unsupportive and “heartless.” They collectively appealed to the university for assistance after witnessing their peers face severe consequences for late payments.
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My Schoolnews also reported that on May 29, 2024, the Federal Government intervened to address the deportation orders issued against some Nigerian students at Teesside University. A delegation, led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Ambassador Christian Okeke, and leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, met with the University’s management to seek a resolution.
However, following protests and the intervention of the Nigerian government, the university has re-enrolled some affected students and established a relief fund. “We are working with a small group who need to return to their home country and are opening an international relief fund to offer additional financial support for these unexpected travel costs,” a university spokesperson explained.
The university is also offering some students the option to complete their studies remotely from Nigeria or to return to the UK at a later date.
