The University of Liberia (UL) Tuition Free Policy implemented by former President George Manneh Weah has during the last few years served as a rescue place for financially incapacitated students to stay in school, though it was being heavily politicized.
However, one cannot deny its intrinsic values to the struggling students of the university, many of whom were forced to stay out of school semesters before the pronouncement of the policy and hold the initiative dearly to heart. But all this could be coming to an end as the university leadership is said to be considering whether or not to maintain the policy.
The university through its President Dr. Layli Maparyan has disclosed that the Free Tuition Policy at the university is currently undergoing a performance audit.
Speaking on a local radio station Wednesday, January 22, 2025, Dr. Maparyan said after the audit, she along with the Board will decide whether to consider canceling or maintaining the free tuition policy or tweaking it.
It can be recalled that on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, former President George Manneh Weah declared tuition free at the undergraduate level for all public universities across the country.
Before the pronouncement by the former President, tuition payment and registration had been marred by protests by aggrieved students and this led to the dropping out of college of some students.
Former President Weah’s pronouncement came amid tension between the University of Liberia’s students and the administration over the increment in credit hour fee from L$400 to L$600 per credit hour.
Also, during her induction ceremony, the Sixteenth President of the University of Liberia Dr. Maparyan disclosed her first 100-day vision in addressing urgent challenges faced by the state-run university.
Dr. Maparyan vowed to deliver on the objectives of her appointment as President of the University.
She said the university can only attain its true objective through collective efforts that would make it great again and promised to bring forth her experience and education to lead the university.
The UL President said since her arrival in Liberia, her sense about the urgency of certain things at the university has increased and inclined her to add some actions to her first hundred days.
