Looking a fees increases — the overseas students' dilemma

In Britain.

18,000 Malaysian students studying in the England, in Government funded institutions, will have to pay another additional 20% in tuition fees from September. This is the second fees increase in 1979. In Januaury, fees for overseas students have raised by 13%. The September fees increase means overseas students will have to pay $4,324 instead of $3,369 in tuition fees. This will net an additional $28.2 million to Britain's coffers between July and April next year. Yet the Department of Education commented that it is still 60 percent below actual full economic cost which is borne by the Government.

The Conservative British Government plans to withdraw subsidies for foreign students which, if carried out, would add another 15% to the 1979-80 charges. This would make fees for 1980-81 around $15,000 for post-graduate students, $11,750 for undergraduates and $6,500 for full-time attendance at sub-degree courses.

Following this announcement, overseas student organisations in Britain promised strong opposition to the British Government proposals to charge overseas students the full cost of their courses. 3 major organisations involved in overseas student welfare — the National Union of Students, United Kingdom Council for Overseas Student Affairs and World University Service in their joint statement pointed out

(1)	the government had plundered six million pounds this year from overseas students with the 33 percent increase announced.
(2)	Such moves will be regarded as renegading on British's responsibility to the Commonwealth, the third world and EEC and the refugee students.
(3)	The basis of government calculation of one hundred million pounds a year subsidy was extremely suspect. The figure ignored clear evidence of major foreign exchange earnings as well as academic benefits that stemmed from the presence of foreign students.
(4)	If Government plans to go ahead charging overseas students the full cost, it would be met with strong opposition from students, academics, administrators, trade unionists and foreign governments.

Latest news: According to informed sources, non-subsidized fees would be charged only to new students entering university, poly-technic and colleges from 1981 onwards.

In Australia

Salient editor has pointed out Fraser's Government is hoping to net $1500 to $2600 from overseas students next year. Estimated number of Malaysian students — over 8000.

In New Zealand

In a similar move, National Government has extended the $1500 fee to cover students who take up post-graduate courses from next year.

Meanwhile Back in Malaysia

In the recent UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) General Assembly, the delegates urged the National Front not to give any quarter in implementing the New Economic Policy, especially education. The 2% increase in the intake of non-bumiputra was too much for the bumiputra to accept.

One of the constituent delegates (from Johore) wanted the Government to keep tabs on non-bumiputras pursuing higher education overseas to ensure their numbers did not exceed the overall quota set out under the NEP.

Commentary

In the face of all these events there are a number of things that need to be pointed out. Whenever a country is in a economic crisis (due to mismanagement by the Government itself) it starts to use overseas students as a scapegoat for their blunders by imposing a fees increase. All the Government's mentioned reiterated that raising the fees for overseas students does not mean they want to stop them from coming to their country for tertiary education. In fact these foreign students are most welcome. But the message that seems never to get across to them is that by increasing fees, they will effectively prevent more Malaysian students to study overseas. Only the rich will be able to go overseas This is in direct contradiction to the statements by the industrialized nation in their education to third world developing nations. What the Governments of these industrialized nations are doing is to help to polarize the gaps between the 'haves' and 'have-nots.'

The Malaysian Government, all along, has not helped the students to fight against the discriminatory fees increases. What it has done so far is to cut down the number of students going overseas, as well as barring the non-bumiputras from entering the local universities. One can only conclude that the Malaysian Government is operating a double standard by offering verbal lip-service to anti-fee campaigns whenever it sees deem necessary (for public consumption as well as to pacify the student. On the other hand it is working hand in glove with the overseas government concerned. It would be too naive to say that the Malaysian Government is not consulted when these fees are increased.