The organization “Young Barristers”, due to the new coronavirus, considering the economic situation, address the important problem in the field of higher education and points out that the state and universities should jointly agree on the terms of rescheduling the tuition fees, as students of higher education institutions, because of the difficult economic consequences presented, won’t face the non-payment of their tuition fees. The higher education institutions don’t change the established rule of the payment, which is a complete collapse for the student community and will further increase the number of suspended students in the country.
According to “Young Barrister’s” lawyer, Tamar Tsikhishvili, The issue of paying tuition fees is already a significant problem for some part of students. Indeed, when there is acute social crisis in the country, the number of suspended students increases. Establishments, based on the given situation, to which the part of community have financial obligations, offer citizens favorable conditions, the possibility of the rescheduling procedures or a flexible payment schedule, but in the case of higher education institutions, the tuition fee is still being paid as usual way and there Is no proper response to react to the challenges posed by the state of emergency situation in the country.
In general, the amount of tuition fees varies between universities, not including the state institutions. Therefore, there are different tax systems presented, which, in some cases, consider the interests of individual students, but sometimes – not. The tuition fees between the higher education institution and the student/professional student are determined by the contract, under the relevant program. As well as, the conditions for changing the terms of it. As of today, the minimum annual fee for higher education is GEL 2,250 (excluding having the state grants). That mainly applies to the state institution. As for the private higher education institutions, the amount of tuition fees is much higher and sometimes, unfortunately, do not correspondence with the needs, what is called a student-orientated tax system.
The problem is indeed very important nowadays, considering the number of students whose status has already been suspended due to the non-payment of the tuition fees or based on the students, who address the establishment to reschedule the payment. According to the results of the recent study, made by the organization, published in September 2019, the number of suspended students in the country was 48,651, which is clearly alarming. As of 2013, the number of suspended students in the country was 28,055, in 2014 that increased to 33,575, in 2016 – 35,841, and in 2017 – 38,104. During the named period, there was an average increase from 2000 to 5000, and as of the data of 2018, an increase of 10,547 is observed, which is the highest rate in the last 5 years.
Based on the given situation in the country, particularly in the context of the state of emergency and social crisis, even more students have been affected by this problem. Due to the fact, that the spread of coronavirus has created a significant financial problem for the citizens, for objective reasons, the number of students, who address the institutions for rescheduling the payment, has increased. But, despite the fact, that the different organizations or institutions took the state of emergency and crisis background into account and try as much as possible to provide financial benefits to citizens, the higher education system, on this subject, chooses to remain silence and doesn’t react. Currently, they only refer to the standard conditions, which is presented not due to the state of emergency, but, also, permanently.
In that regard, it is important to analyze the individual higher education institutions’ approach to the favorable conditions of the tuition fees. Of course, it is possible to pay the annual fee in a semester way, in particular, to divide it into 2 parts, but, there is a different ways of the semester tax distribution.
The relevant rules and conditions of rescheduling and distribution of tuition fees are clarified in the order of the higher education institutions. In each case, they are different. For example, in the case of Tbilisi State University, the principal’s order N 02/01-01; 24.01.2012 gives the opportunity for the vulnerable groups of the society, to pay tuition fees in stages, based on the schedule set by the University, itself. In the case of non-payment, the administrative registration can happen only after paying the debt. In this case, we are talking about the distribution and not about the postponement. The Georgian Technical University determines the favorable terms for certain vulnerable groups, and in the case of Ilia State University, before the start of each academic year, in September, the University concludes a study agreement with the student, gives them opportunity to choose the schedule of paying the tuition fees. However, there is another rules presented at the University of Georgia, which, for students enrolled in 2019, gives the opportunity to pay the tax in 10 parts, but exceeding the deadline will result in the suspension of the student’s status, about which the student will be notified in advance.
All in all, based on the examples above, the late payment of the tuition fees causes the suspension of the student status. If evaluated objectively, at first glance, of course it is logical, that the student must properly fulfill his financial obligation to the university, but, on the other hand, it would be prudent for higher education institutions to adapt the reality of the country, share the existing challenges and establish the certain favorable conditions for postponing the payment of tuition fees.
