UJ protest over tuition hikes enters ninth day

AMMAN — A protest by University of Jordan (UJ) students against a decision to raise tuition fees for the international, postgraduate and parallel programmes entered its ninth day on Monday.

Since the beginning of March, students from UJ and other universities around the Kingdom have been gathering in front of UJ’s administration building on campus to protest the decision, which was announced about three years ago.

The decision increases tuition fees by 100 to 180 per cent for the parallel and post-graduate programmes.

Alaa Hajjeh, an activist at the university, said on Monday the protesters insist on their demands and reversing the decision.

“The protest is within the framework of many activities done by the students to call for reversing the decision,” he said.

Hajjeh added that the sit-in, organised by the Student Rally for the Cancellation of the Tuition Fee Hike group, is a step towards safeguarding students’ rights.

“It is a way to express our rejection of the decision, and we are here to stay until the university administration reverses the decision; many students cannot afford the raise.”

Protesters have been sleeping on campus over the past few days.

However, the university administration has provided students with “a clear response”, according to the protesters.

The Student Observatory said in a statement that students have the right to reject the decision and express their opinions.

The statement also said accusing the protesters of “disturbing” the atmosphere of the university is a form of limiting the rights and freedoms of students.

The student rights group urged Parliament and the authorities to follow up on the issue and to support the protesters as they “ask for their rights” and “ensuring a better future for students”.

Protesters said campus security is not allowing students to enter the university to protest and it is difficult for students to get blankets at night.

The university administration was not available to comment on the protest on Monday despite several attempts by The Jordan Times. 

UJ President Ekhleif Tarawneh previously stated that the protest is “unjustified” and is affecting lectures. 

According to Tarawneh, UJ has a deficit of JD20.5 million, for covering the education costs of around 67 per cent of the students enrolled in the regular programme and other scholarships.

The president said UJ, which has some 43,000 students, spends JD700 on each post-graduate student.

Later on Monday, Tarawneh released a statement after the board of trustees met with a number of students, saying discussions covered ways to support excelling students in the parallel programme.

A committee was formed to examine this issue further, the statement said, calling for ensuring that students will remain supportive of the administration.

Adnan Badran, chairman of UJ’s board of trustees, said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times that raising fees is the “only choice” for the university as the government does not support it financially as it used to, adding that post-graduate studies are “optional”.

He noted that around 65 to 70 per cent of students at the university are enrolled in the regular programme, which means the tuition fee hike does not affect them.