Departmental levy as it is known is a part of the important fees paid by both fresh and returning students. Departmental levies are always paid alongside faculty levies and both are to always be renewed by students every session.
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The departmental fees in some of the Students’ Association for this present session have caused some fresh students to voice out. Some of the students had previously gotten information as to the prices of faculty dues but as they would have it, they met something different.
Despite the sundry fee hike which affected all students, the departmental dues of some Students’ associations are about ₦10,000 with some even more. Departmental association like NAPSS-Political Science, and NAPS-Philosophy among others have their levies pegged at ₦10,000. Some Student associations are even charging more as their levies. Some examples are NAGS-Geography ₦12,000, IFUMSA-Medicine ₦11,000, IFUDSA-Dentistry ₦12,000, IFUTSA-Medical Rehabilitation ₦12,000.
Although some departmental associations have their levies high, there are still some whose prices are still low compared to those that are listed above such as, NESA-Economics ₦5,000, NASELS- English ₦3,000.
This development has posed questions in the hearts of some students. What must have warranted the high prices? Are there special benefits or compulsory demands that call for the high due prices? Are the Students’ associations who are charging less not doing up to expectation? All these are more of the questions that arise as a result of these prices that some departments pegged their levies.
The Students’ Union in two press releases dated back to October 18, 2023, stated that Great Ife students, especially freshmen, should desist from paying any additional charges. The release reads, ‘It has been well delineated that faculty and departmental fees have been included in the new School charges established by the University management which you have already paid on your e-portal. Also, the leadership of the union will work with each faculty and departmental association on ways to regulate their dues to a fee that can be affordable for our union members to avoid unnecessary burden on all students’.
One of the releases stated that plans were already being made to regulate the prices. In a telephone conversation with Akinboni Opeyemi, the Secretary General of the Students’ Union, he stated that after the release a meeting was held with the faculties and departments. Some of the departments that were represented at the meeting shifted grounds. According to him, some departments initially planned to charge about ₦20,000 but they were able to reduce it to ₦10,000.
Despite these developments, it appears that some of these fees are still on the high side.