Students being offered phased terms, special waivers and additional scholarships

The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) has announced a tuition increase come Fall 2022, which administrators say “is critical to offering the highest quality of education at competitive costs to students, the maintenance of excellent teaching, learning and research standards, and further institutional development.”

The university, in a recent statement, advised that a phased approach to the application of the new tuition fees will be taken to allow undergraduate students time to prepare for the overall increase.

Students who make full payment by prescribed dates will enjoy up to a 100 per cent waiver of the increase, according to UCC.

Noting that tuition was last increased in 2017, Professor Dennis Gayle, UCC president, said that subsequent annual increases were delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a private university, with no Government financial support, the UCC relies exclusively on tuition fees to fund its operations to ensure it earns the sums required to meet operating costs for instructional technology, expanded facilities to accommodate students and staff, faculty and staff compensation, increased utility costs, as well as other essential inputs needed to run the University, make fee adjustments imperative at this time,” he explained.

Professor Gayle, pointing out that at the start of the pandemic the UCC provided scholarships of up to 50 per cent for students to offset some of the costs associated with their studies, argued that, “the university cannot continue to absorb all the additional expenditures necessary to run a premier institution of higher learning.” 

“Despite the economic conditions in Jamaica, and especially in recognition of the effect that the pandemic has had on our students, we have kept tuition fees constant for the past four years. We fully understand the financial challenges being faced by many of our students. At the same time, the continuing depreciation of the Jamaican dollar, high levels of inflation, and operating cost increases, mean that the University cannot remain sustainable without increasing tuition fees,” the UCC president added.

Per its statement, the UCC said it continues to invest in developing a robust, increasingly integrated information technology infrastructure to support online teaching, learning and scholarship, in the recruitment of qualified faculty and staff members, in implementing a wider range of quality assured academic programs, from professional certificates to the doctoral level, and in enhanced international student recruitment and retention systems.

Professor Gayle contended that after careful consideration, the university will be increasing fees for undergraduate degree programmes, effective Fall 2022, when the institution will also resume hybrid and 100 per cent synchronous class options for returning students and hybrid for new students.

Details of the tuition increase for 2022-23

Effective Fall 2022, the university will be offering courses to returning undergraduate students using both hybrid and synchronous online modalities.  A decision was taken to revise the increased tuition for students who opt for the 100 per cent synchronous online modality.

Hybrid modality (synchronous online, face-to-face and ‘Hyflex’)

• The increase for returning students who choose the hybrid modality in Fall 2022 is approximately 23 per cent or a new per module fee of $37,000. This rate will remain in effect in Spring 2023 also.
• Returning students who chose to pursue summer classes are required to pay an additional $9,500 per module at the beginning of the Summer 2023 session.

Synchronous online modality

• The increase for returning students who choose the 100 per cent synchronous online modality in Fall 2022 is 15 per cent or a new per module fee of $34,500.  This rate will remain in Spring 2023 also.
• Returning students are required to pay an additional $4,500 per module at the beginning of the Summer 2023 session.

Special assistance for UCC students

RETURNING STUDENTS

• Returning students (hybrid or 100 per cent synchronous online) who will complete their programme of study in December 2022, and pay their tuition in full by August 31, 2022, will receive a 50 per cent waiver on the planned increase per module.  Therefore, they pay between $32,250 per module to $33,500 per module.
• All returning students (hybrid or 100 per cent synchronous online) who pay for 10 or more three-credit modules per year by August 31, 2022, will only pay an increase of 10 per cent per module resulting in a total of $33,000 per three-credit module.
• All returning students (hybrid or 100 per cent synchronous online) who register for three or more three-credit modules and complete their payment by the end of early registration (August 13, 2022) will receive a 10 per cent fee waiver per module.
• All returning students (hybrid or 100 per cent synchronous online) who register for 10 or more three-credit modules in full and complete payment before the beginning of Fall 2022 registration (July 17, 2022), will not be subjected to any increases for the academic year 2022/2023.
• Eligible students will receive a further extended payment plan for the payment of their fees (conditions apply).  There will be no increase in miscellaneous fees for the academic year 2022-2023.

NEW STUDENTS

• All new students (hybrid modality only) will be required to pay a separate tuition increase per module effective Fall 2022.  Applicants are encouraged to see further details on the UCC’s website.
• New students (hybrid only) who register for three or more modules and complete their payment by the end of early registration (August 13, 2022) will receive a 15 per cent fee waiver per module.
• Eligible students will receive a further extended payment plan for the payment of their fees (conditions apply). 

The Worthington Avenue-based UCC noted further that it “remains mindful of the effects that the economic climate has had on many of our students and their families”.

In order to minimize the impact of the increased costs on students, UCC continues to offer new career services opportunities (local, regional and international) using our technology platform, scholarships, and to highlight available external scholarships.

For more information on available scholarships for all students, persons can click here to visit the UCC website.