By Ben Ogbemudia
The House of Representatives on Wednesday lamented the arbitrary high acceptance fees being charged by some public universities on new students across the country adding that it has become a matter of great concern to many families.

In a motion sponsored by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, a member representing Owan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and House Committee Chairman on Basic Education also noted that amid the rising frustrations over the exorbitant fees, indigent families of new students that are forced to pay the acceptance fees are bemoaning the unusual astronomical increases against the backdrop of the fact that Federal Universities are supposedly tuition-free

“Aware that the acceptance fees are discriminatory, as they vary from one University to the other which clearly shows that they have become mere internal revenue-generating mechanisms thus constituting an impediment to the smooth process of entry into universities

“Also aware that while some of the institutions are charging minimal fees, others are charging astronomically high, whereas, some others are not charging anything at all. It is important to note that most institutions do not charge the acceptance fee against tuition fees. This raises the question as to whether the institutions were not established under the same law

“Further aware that if this situation is not checked, school fees may surreptitiously become the acceptance fee thus affecting the number of students that gain entry into higher institutions in Nigeria

“Worried that the dire consequences of exorbitant acceptance fees in our public universities have led to many indigent students losing their spots as they are too poor to pay the acceptance fees

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The motion, therefore, resolves that the Federal Government urged to substantially increase the funding of public universities to moderate the excessive drive for IGR at the expense of popular access to public education in Nigeria; and also urged the House Committee on Tertiary Institution to investigate the high acceptance fees and report to the House in four weeks.