Unisa ******ing South African students abroad

Item: Unisa
Rating: 5

I think this may be of some interest to you regarding UNISA's levy on foreign students. I myself am a South African student studying through UNISA and currently residing in Dubai. As you may know, UNISA has increased their fees for 2017 coupled with more than 100% increase on foreign levies for international students without any warning or correspondence to us, even though we may be South African. Following are the rants and raves of some students from this website: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/405/306/269/we-request-a-cut-down-of-foreign-student-levy/ The drastic foreign levy increment is an inssult to us.I want to ask unisa why we should pay double of what the domestic students are paying.Are we in the same university or a different one.Even if we operate in different logistical environment for example shipping of study material and booking of exam centres, we should not pay double!They are becoming ************s.I would rather transfer my credits and become a resident student in my local university than be a correspondence university that is insensitive to the welfare of its students.They receive calls, they dont respond to emails timeously.What is the inceased fee for? - Gerishom, Kenya If the levies are for Courier costs, then why not charge them separate or itemize them. I basically don't even need hard copies couriered to me since I download the exact same material as PDFs from the student portal. Matter of fact I haven't even opened my study pack from last semester. The only resource I used was the exam venue. A 131% increase on levies is ******ion and in no way reflects creativity in revenue procurement on your part. Shameful. - K. M, Germany I am a South African living in Namibia. I am unable to work freely in Namibia due to Namibia's foreign policy. I thus have opted to study through UNISA, whilst living with my husband in a foreign country. The increase in foreign levy from R 520 to R 1 250 FOR EACH MODULE is a COMPLETE OUTRAGE, especially considering that UNISA offers students living in foreign countries less (no registration office, no support - nothing, except an examination venue) than students (foreign and South African) writing exams in South Africa. Students writing exams outside of South Africa now has to pay almost DOUBLE FOR EACH MODULE than the students that are writing exams in South Africa. This is clearly a ***ardice move from UNISA following last years protests within the country - now all students studying abroad must face the brunt. UNISA, it was students within South Africa that caused havoc, now all those outside SA has to pay???? - Nelle, Namibia The high fees charged this semester as foreign levy are an impediment to the completion of my Bachelor Degree with Unisa as I cant afford to write the required modules per semester due to these fees. - Anonymous, Zambia There are many more on the website. I too am struggling with these fees and have had to prolong my studies! This year was supposed to be my final year and I now have to work overtime to support my studies, not to mention supporting my family. Here is a post by a BrendaB from a different website: UNISA increased study fees in 2017 by about 6%. This was expected and more or less in line with SA’n inflation rate. However, as an international stundent I’m completely shocked. The additional “foreign levy” which international students pay to write at a foreign exam center, has suddenly increased from R1040 to R2400 per module (Bachelor Degree). Yes, per module! 30 modules required for a bachelor degree. No warning, no explanation or anything of that sort from UNISA. International stundents who recently started to obtain a qualification through UNISA are simply f***ed. Cough up the money, or leave the institution. No regards for all the work you have put in so far… In my opinion: ******ion! Thus, lets compare figures from 2016 with 2017. In my case, I still have 26 modules to go. This is what my degree will currently cost me: 2016 – Average module fee: R1360 2016 – Foreign Levy: R1040 Total: 35360 + 27040 = R62.400 (for 26 modules) Paid in 2016 for four modules: R9600 Total cost for my bachelor degree (30 modules), based on prescribed study fees in 2016: R72.000 — 2017 – Average module fee: R1470 2017 – Foreign Levy: R2400 Total: 38220 + 62400 = R100.620 (for 26 modules) Paid in 2016 for four modules: R9600 Total cost for my bachelor degree (30 modules), based on prescribed study fees in 2017: R110.220 (increase of 53%). Without books and other costs. Clearly it seems impossible to predict future fee increases with UNISA. What will the qualification at the end have cost me, since t will take me at least 3 more years to finish the qualification? At the current rate of increases, no less than a couple of 100k South African Rands. Not sure, if it’s worth to re-register with an institution, that takes no interest in providing consistency and financial transparency to their international students. Source: http://www.asksa.co.za/unisa-foreign-levy-increase-in-2017/ I think that UNISA is under the impression that the majority of South Africans working overseas are rich. I think this story is worthy to be investigated and reported just like the previous protests were. It's just not possible for us foreign students to protest and therefore our voices have not been heard.

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