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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Correspondent
HUNDREDS of Midlands State University students who are on Government cadetship programme are set to miss the graduation ceremony on Friday over unpaid fees.
Authorities at MSU are insisting that only fully paid up students would be allowed to graduate.Concerned parents and students who spoke to Chronicle yesterday said a majority of students who are set to graduate were on cadetship whose fees were yet to be paid by Government.

“The majority of students who are supposed to graduate on Friday are on Government cadetship and the Government is yet to pay fees to the university.

“The university has since communicated to us that we will not be allowed to attend the graduation ceremony because Government owed the institution. The university has since suppressed our results to ensure that we pay the fees,” said one of the affected students.

The students said they felt hard done by the university considering that they cleared all the ancillary fees that the university requires from them outside the cadet fund. They said the move by the university was in direct defiance of the Government position that forbade educational institutions to withhold results over unpaid fees.

“Government’s position is that universities and schools should not withhold results over fees but to our surprise, the university is suppressing our results. Ironically, it is the same Government that owes the university money but MSU is punishing us instead. It’s so disappointing,” said another student.

A parent who requested not to be named said:

“The university verbally told the students that they should pay on their own what Government owes the institution. They said the university would reimburse the students once Government settles its debt but I don’t think this is practical. The university is not being sincere here,” said the parent.

The parent said there was no reason for the university to withhold results of students on Government cadetship as they were already bonded by the state.

“Whether they withhold the results or not, students on cadetship programme are bonded by Government and will only receive their certificates after about four years. There is therefore no reason for the university to withhold their results,” he said.

MSU registrar Erasmus Mupfiga, confirmed that the university would only allow fully paid up students to graduate.
He said:

“That is the university’s position unless we are advised otherwise. We have even advertised in the Press and indicated that only fully paid students would attend the graduation ceremony.”