Private universities defend tuition fees, citing unfair state policy
THE STATE has pledged to pass a law regulating tuition fees at private universities, whose spiralling costs have resulted in student demonstrations in the past.
In their defence, private university owners claim state university students cost taxpayers more than double the cost of private tuition fees, arguing that it is unfair that private universities are being asked to maintain the same standard with far less income.
“The assertion that tuition fees are high is relative. The University of Cyprus (UCY) has an annual budget of €110 million and 5,000 students, meaning that each student costs the taxpayer around €22,000.
“Compare this to the €8,000 private universities charge and you will see that we actually charge less than half,” said Chistoforos Hadjikyprianou, Tuition Fees Director at the European University of Cyprus (EUC).
“UCY students cost the state more and yet we are being asked to maintain the same standard with essentially much lower fees. We work with one third of UCY’s income, but just appear to be more expensive,” said Nicos Peristianis, Executive Dean of the University of Nicosia (UNic).
“State university students cost the taxpayer between €15,000 and €25,000 per year, but obviously the students themselves don’t have to pay because all the infrastructure costs are covered by the state,” added Michael Frederickou, founder and owner of Frederick University.
“I believe that private university students should have the same rights. Their parents pay the same taxes that state university students’ parents do.”
Private university management admit that tuition fees are in fact high, but claim that given the absence of state support they cannot charge less and maintain the same standard.
“At first glance, tuition fees are high and we are not happy about the situation either. However, if you compare our fees with those of private high-schools, particularly for students in the sixth and seventh grade, you will see that the difference is minimal.
“Yet, our costs are much higher; we pay salaries to PhD-holders and maintain a research infrastructure – for example our library requires an investment of €500,000 per year.
“Our professors can only teach for 9-12 hours per week as they also carry out research,” explained Peristianis.
At present, the Education Ministry and the Attorney General are in the process of drafting a bill that aims to regulate the annual increase in tuition fees.
Although direct state intervention in university affairs is in violation of EU regulations, the state will strive to have an indirect control. Each year, universities will be asked to present a sustainability assessment with their budget, which the state will have to approve.
Peristianis does not believe that the proposed law will improve the situation.
“It will not introduce any significant changes. Tuition fees increase about five to six per cent each year, representing the cost of living index and the state will just ensure they are not higher than that, which is already the case.
“They are just trying to silence the students,” he said.
“This arrangement has been in existence since we were colleges, when we had to present our budget to the state for approval.
“If voted, we will abide to this law, but do not see how it will change things,” added Hadjikyprianou.
Instead, private universities believe that the state could encourage students to stay in Cyprus and make their lives much easier by providing more benefits to the students themselves.
Peristianis said the current support systems for private university students were outdated.
“The state could help students who stay in Cyprus in a number of ways. First, state support to students has been £1,500 since 2000 and that figure has not changed.”
Back then, he said, that amount covered half the tuition fees of private colleges, but now it covers only one third.
“Also, the new student support measures by the state for Cypriot students who stay on the island are not effective.”
Peristianis cited the example of the state’s offer of rent support – which is essentially useless for Nicosia students who live at home.
“The state should find ways to substantially help students who stay in Cyprus, by differentiating between students who go abroad by choice and those who cannot find a course in Cyprus and have to go abroad,” he said.
“For example, Business Administration is available in all Cypriot universities so why should the state support students who go to the US for that course? Unfortunately to the present, our government has not had the political will or the imagination to provide effective solutions to these problems,” Peristianis said.
“The state announced that it aims to develop Cyprus into a regional higher education centre yet simple steps to encourage students to stay in Cyprus are not taken,” Hadjikyprianou said.
“For example, the state could provide increased sponsorship to students who stay in Cyprus.”
“The current administration claims that it will develop social equality policies and yet this inequality is not being rectified,” Frederikou commented.
