Guyanese students entering the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) in September 2017 will be asked to pay an increase in tuition of more than TT$4,000.
Currently students from countries such as Guyana, who pay the full economic cost at the law school are asked to pay TT$90,194.87 ($2.8 million) per year. A proposed increase approved by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) at its Executive Council meeting last weekend will see this sum increased to TT$94,704.61 ($2.9 million) a difference of TT$4,509.74 ($100,000)
Stabroek News was reliably informed that this increase will apply only to those students entering the institution in the 2017/2018 academic year. Continuing students will continue to pay the current rate.
According to a source, the decision which was taken by a majority of the CLE at its executive committee meeting held in Jamaica over the weekend.
Attorney General Basil Williams who attended the meeting reportedly abstained from voting on the decision, which is expected to be made public on March 31, 2017.
Stabroek News contacted several final-year law students, who will be affected by the increase, and they all noted that it was a troubling development which was guaranteed to bring hardship.
President of the University of Guyana Law Society (UGLS) Ian Chung reminded that the present fee was a result of a recent increase. In 2015, HWLS increased its tuition from TT$67,500 to its present cost.
“Students are already finding it difficult to pay so another increase in such a short space of time will bring nothing but more difficulty,” he said.
He lamented the fact the Guyanese students continue to be subject to the decisions of a body which makes no attempt to consult with them and noted that this situation makes the case for the country to have its own accredited law school, which might be more responsive to the needs of locals.
Chevy Devonish, former president of UGLS was not as surprised by the development. He, however, stressed that the decision will create difficulties and called for the information to be officially released as early as possible.
“This increase will undoubtedly be problematic for many who are already scraping to make the current scheme,” he said noting that “the last increase was followed by news that it would be the first of several so this is not surprising. The school’s right to increase the fees is recognised and accepted. However, if the increase is indeed coming, I trust that it is publicised as early as possible as prospective students may be budgeting in accordance with the current scheme. The last time this happened it was very close to the opening of the semester and many were caught off guard. We don’t want people not being able to make it in because of a last minute increase.”
Another final year student who wished not to be named echoed the call for the increase to be publicized sooner rather than later.
“I am stunned and I am sure my colleagues will also be shocked to hear this. We have just applied to the school and we have not heard anything about it. If indeed it is to be raised we would prefer to hear about it sooner rather than later since this means that we would have to make arrangements to get additional monies come September. Additionally, I would hope that the AG could make some representation on our part about this,” the student said.
