Public universities in the country have increased tuition fees by 100 percent from K650 000 to K1.3 million per academic year, stirring panic among parents, guardians and students, especially the economically disadvantaged.
In separate statements, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar), Mzuzu University (Mzuni), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas), University of Malawi (Unima) and Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) have announced the hikes that are almost uniform from this academic year.
However, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Kuhes) has moved from K1 million to K2 million, but implementation will begin from the 2027/28 academic year.
Under the new arrangement, students will also be making a K60 000 contribution towards medical cover in all public universities.
The increase in fees has exerted pressure on the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board which this year is targeting to support 38 000 needy students across public universities and colleges.
In their statements announcing the results, the universities said the adjustment was necessitated by the significant increase in the cost of delivering quality higher education, and the increase will help support and sustain the quality of teaching and learning.
Mzuni management said the adjustment reflected the impact of inflation and other prevailing economic conditions.
Reads the Mzuni statement: “Tuition fees for other categories of students should also be revised. An appropriate announcement will be made in due course;
“Going forward, the university will be implementing an annual tuition fee adjustment of 10 percent to ensure that tuition fee reviews are gradual, predictable, and aligned with changes in the cost of delivering quality higher education.”
Adjustment justifiable, but…
In an interview yesterday, Mzuni Students’ Representative Council president Vitumbiko Mzumara said while the justification for the rise is understandable, students will be the most affected.
He said: “We are not against the hike, but 100 percent is too much. We also want to understand what will happen with the Loans Board on both fees and upkeep, and how many students will now benefit.
“It does not make sense to raise the fees so exorbitantly at university, while you abolish fees in secondary school. You are allowing them to learn for free in secondary school, and punish them in the university? There is no logic for me!”
Malawi Public Universities Students’ Union president Wesley Malekano said they had scheduled a meeting from 8pm last evening to discuss and map the way forward.
In a separate interview, Civil Society Education Coalition executive director Benedicto Kondowe said public universities are struggling financially, observing that in the 2026/27 fiscal year, out of the K536 billion they had asked for, Treasury allocated them K133.7 billion.
He said the estimated full annual cost of training a student is K10.9 million at Mubas, K20.7 million at KUHeS, K11.2 million at Luanar, K8.6 million at Must, K8.8 million at Unima and K4.8 million at Mzuni.
On his part, Link of Education Governance executive director Limbani Nsapato said for universities to manage the situation, they needed to find alternative sources of funding, like raising fees.
Money will be provided
In the 2026/27 Budget, government has allocated K42 billion for student loans and upkeep allowances to cater for 38 000 needy students in public universities before the fees were revised.
At K580 000 upkeep allowance for each beneficiary student, government needs K22.040 billion while it needs K49.4 billion for tuition if we put an average of K1.3 million per student. This leaves a K29.44 billion gap.
Officials from the Loans Board did not respond to the queries yesterday, but yesterday Secretary for Education, Science and Technology Ken Ndala said when government is raising fees, it is aware that it has to release resources to the needy students.
In the 2025/26 fiscal year, the Loans Board said it would spend K33.9 billion for about 34 000 students.
