Arakanese correspondent students face skyrocketing tuition fees and food prices

By Khin Tharaphy Oo 18 Oct 2019

Khin Tharaphy Oo/ DMG

18 October, Sittwe

Some students from the University of Distance Education in Sittwe, Arakan State face difficulties due to raising tuition fees and food costs.

Each student of the third group from the University of Distance Education spends MMK 85,000 for tuition fees whereas the students from the second group pays out more than MMK 100,000. So, some university students can’t afford to pay tuition fees.

“Tuition fees are increasing year after year. When I was a first-year student in 2016, tuition fees were around MMK 55,000. Being a third student this year, tuition fees were increased to over MMK 100,000. The tuition fees doubled within a few years,” said Ko Moe Kyaw, a third-year correspondent student majoring in English.

Some correspondent students eat only one meal a day due to rising food prices, said Ma Khaing Aye Win, a second-year student.

“I would like to urge concerned officials to sympathize with the plight of some students because tuition fees and food prices are skyrocketing. For example, I spent about MMK 700 to buy one portion of fish curry last year. Now the price for fish curry is MMK 1,000 per meal. All prices are going up. So, some students who experience hardship in terms of money eat only one meal a day,” she said.

The cost of food and clothing has been increasing annually in Arakan State’s capital Sittwe during the examination period for correspondent students.