Some Nigerians sent away will be able to complete their studies at home- Teesside University

Some of the Nigerian students removed from the Teesside University, UK will be able to complete their studies once home, the management of the institution said in a reply to our inquiry.

We, voiceforafricanmigrants.org had written to the institution to know what will be the fate of the students who had spent a fortune travelling to the UK to pursue their studies in the institution.

A number of Nigerian students at Teesside University were thrown off courses and ordered to leave the UK after a currency crisis left them struggling to pay tuition fees.

Responding to our inquiry via email, the Communications Officer, David Roberts said: “The University continues to make every effort to support students affected by the Nigerian currency crisis.”

Following individual meetings, David said “we are pleased to confirm that a number of students can now resume their studies.

“A small number do need to return to their home country. We have opened an International Relief Fund for these students, to offer additional financial support for these unexpected travel costs. Some will be able to complete their studies once home, and others may return to the UK to resume their studies at a later date.”

He said: “This remains a complex situation and we are communicating with these students on a case-by-case basis to confirm their individual options.

“We also continue to engage with representatives from the Nigeria High Commission, to identify further support available to our students.”

Speaking on efforts made by the instruction to support the students, David: “We moved from seven to three payment instalments at the start of the academic year 23/24. All students and applicants were notified of this change via regular student and applicant communications, ahead of their enrolment date. 

“We also took the decision to offer bespoke payment plans to any of our international students who needed them, taking into account individual circumstances. In many cases, these bespoke plans exceed our previous seven instalments. To date, more than 2,000 students have taken up this support.”

According to a BBC report, a protest was held in May after Teesside University reported Nigerian students to the Home Office

The university says it will help to fund flights home to Nigeria for crisis-hit students who it reported to the Home Office.

Students at Teesside University were thrown off courses and ordered to leave the UK after a currency crisis left them struggling to pay tuition fees.

Following protests and the intervention of the Nigerian government, the university told the BBC it has now re-enrolled some affected students and opened a travel fund.

One student said the offer did not go far enough, adding: “The wide-rippling effects of this are unmanageable and piling up.”

As reported by the BBC, the Middlesbrough-based university recently withdrew sponsorship for a number of students and reported them to the Home Office after they fell into tuition fee arrears.

The students had seen their savings depleted as a consequence of Nigeria’s worst economic crash in generations.

Their financial struggles were exacerbated when the university changed payment plans from seven instalments to three.

The impact was so significant that a nearby food charity said 75% of its clients are now Nigerian students struggling to cope with the cost of living.

As a consequence, some missed tuition fee payments and were subsequently frozen out of their studies.

Soon after, they received Home Office letters ordering them to leave the UK.

In May, a university spokesman said failure to pay was a breach of visa sponsorship requirements, and claimed it had “no choice” but to alert the Home Office.

—