UG students society protests no-loan policy for two programmes

– calls on gov’t to reconsider

UGSS staged a protest, the second in less than a month, at the campus on Thursday to criticize the lack of concern shown in the matter. The body said that many students have attended classes this semester and are hoping to write final exams which are less than two weeks away.

President of UGSS Colin Constantine told Stabroek News that UG introduced three new programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences this year – Degree in Pharmacy, Degree in Optometry and Degree in Rehabilitative Science, the latter programme was discontinued due to insufficient registrants.

Let’s compromise: UGSS members protesting outside of the administration building on Thursday.

Close to 30 students who opted to pay loans for the degrees in Pharmacy and Optometry have been unable to access loans, Constantine said, noting that there is still time for a solution.

He said that the tuition for both programmes is $250,000, which is above the regular $127,000, adding that the administration could also compromise and offer students the loan for up to $127,000, with the remainder to be paid cash by students.

\According to Constantine, the affected persons deserve a chance to write final examinations as fully registered students of the university because they have attended classes all semester “with the hope that this would be resolved by now”.