(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Students at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) protested on the street facing their campus on Monday against a decision made by their university to increase tuition fees.
The new policy increases the price of one credit by $60, which calculates to a 21% overall tuition increase. Students will be expected to pay an extra $2,000 per year.
“We have been surprised, during the peak of the economic crisis in Lebanon, by this unjust decision by the university administration,” a statement released by
the students on Saturday said.
Students from all faculties organized and called for the 10 a.m. demonstration, demanding the immediate elimination of the “unfair” decision by the administration.
They held a sit-in closing the road, and refused to dissolve the protest until they received a promise by the USEK administration to reconsider its controversial decision, media reports said.
Students are upset because they are barely able to afford current tuition fees, even when they work two or three jobs in some cases, they say. They also complain of special privileges of relatives to Maronite Catholic priests, who receive discounted rates to attend USEK.
In an interview with LBCI, one student said that Christians are constantly encouraged to preserve their land, but this decision will “encourage us to do the opposite and sell land to pay for tuition.”
The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) is a private Catholic higher education institution, which was established by the Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO) in 1961.
You can help USEK students get their message to University administrators by signing the petition at this link.
LBCI Report:
MTV Lebanon Report: