A cohort of Nigerian students are at risk of being removed from the country over non-payment of Teesside University fees.
Delegates from the Nigerian High Commission in London are set to meet bosses from Middlesbrough-based Teesside University to discuss the students who may be ordered to leave the UK after failing to meet tuition repayments.
The university withdrew tuition from those who missed their fee instalments and informed the Home Office, after some students’ savings were wiped out when the value of Nigeria’s Naira crashed. However, uni bosses say it has helped create bespoke payment plans for around 2,000 students – with only “a very small number of students who remain withdrawn on financial grounds”.
Earlier this month a number of students held a protest outside the university over the issue. A spokesperson for Teesside University said: “Since being made aware of the ongoing economic situation in Nigeria, Teesside University has made every effort to support affected students to mitigate the impact of the crisis on their learning experience.
“We have offered bespoke payment plans to take into account individual circumstances. To date, more than 2,000 students have taken up this support. We have offered students an individual meeting with specialist staff; around 160 students have now met personally with staff and solutions have been found to support them to continue or complete their studies wherever possible.
