Malawi’s opposition and student groups are calling on the government to reverse a recently announced 100% increase in tuition fees for public universities. Opposition leader Simplex Chithyola Banda says the fee hike—reported as doubling annual tuition from K650,000 to K1.3 million—risks pricing out students from financially struggling families and denying admission to academically qualified learners. He calls for the government to suspend or reverse the policy.
Student representatives also petition parliament, asking lawmakers to intervene and seeking the implementation of the new fees to be stopped, arguing that the higher costs threaten access to higher education.
The Education Ministry, however, rejects the calls for reversal. Minister of Education Bright Msaka says the demands are “unnecessary,” stating that the government has introduced measures to support lower-income students through an expanded loan and grants scheme.
Separately, UTM president Dalitso Kabambe also urges a reversal, describing the increased fees as unjust and highlighting the broader cost burden that students face under the new policy.
