According to the reports, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), one of the topmost universities of Pakistan has increased its semester fee by 41 percent. The university’s failure to properly communicate this unnecessary change to the students has made them furious. LUMS fee hike is widely being condemned on social media. This massive increase in fee is somewhat barbaric for an already elitist institution.
LUMS has raised its fee in the middle of a global pandemic when the classes have moved online and the campus is not even in use for several weeks. Students are taking to social media to express their anger and grief in many creative ways.
Students Reveal that There Was No Forewarning For LUMS Fee Hike
Administration of LUMS did not warn students that this step was under consideration. It is not a logical move since students who plan their entire four years ahead find it difficult to adjust. LUMS could have disclosed this information so that students could have prepareed accordingly. The students who are neither rich nor receiving financial aid and barely pay their fee each semester are those who are going to be hit hard with this increase.
Students took to Twitter to voice their concerns because university apparently didn’t even inform them beforehand. They believe that LUMS will only respond when the institute’s reputation is at stake.
This lack of transparency is unprofessional for an institution like LUMS. They show themselves as non-profit and then suddenly ask for extra money? It sounds like a veteren capitalist who only wants money no matter how students fare ahead.
It Is Just Making Students Difficult to Face Parents
LUMS Fee Hike has caused a panic among students that they are feeling terrified to tell their parents about this brutality. The university is considered a household name in such families who are so proud of having their kids study at a said to be prestigious university. This pride can shatter to pieces when they’ll learn about what LUMS has done to their kids and the cost they have to pay for this pride has gone up.
The fee hike decision has put the university in hot waters. Folks who otherwise consider that institute is just a brand name and not the provider of quality education have got a chance to further their case. They think that increase in fee is result of over popularizing private institutions who do not deserve privilege in the first place. There are many universities in Pakistan that provide better education with better results.
Most students take loans and aides to pay for tuition because their families can’t. This sounds like extortion. Now the LUMS fee hike is simply going to increase the depression and stress among youth who can’t afford their fee even in normal circumstances.
Education is a basic right of human beings so delivering must be the basic responsibility of each university. Unfortunately in Pakistan just like other countries, a very unethical business is going on in the guise of higher education. Human rights activist and History professor Dr. Ammar Ali Jan points out that our youth has to be saved from the private mafias.
Expressing Their Concern in Form of Memes
Memes are a form of entertainment exclusive to social media but they are equally useful in expressing sentiments to particular situations. While some students are showing their anger at LUMS Fee Hike through words others are using memes in lighter ways to express helplessness of students and carelessness of the institution. This video beautifully tells how the LUMS status of being a non-profit feels right now.
During lockdown, mathematics might be an interesting thing to play around but this guy transcended maths and went ahead to show how marketing is done while downplaying LUMS fee hike at the same time.
Meanwhile LUMS:
There is no doubt that everybody who has watched the Spanish show, Money Heist can clearly see what LUMS is trying to do. As this Twitter user has said it all in the form of viral Monisha Beta Meme.
Mishandling of Students
Most students in LUMS don’t feel like they belong over there. Even though it is an elitist university, the students belong to multiple classes. So instead of accommodating each class, LUMS decided to hastily increase the tuition fee that can promote discrimination.
This user condemns LUMS for assuming that all of the students are elitists like them.
Word of mouth from Pakistani elites was the main reason for this university to gain popularity in the first place. It may be time for them to pay for their desires to feed their elite complex and be an ultimate enabler of capitalism.
This student has condemned the LUMS Fee Hike by sharing a breakdown of the useless costs he was apparently being forced to pay.
Well the LUMS Fee Hike does expose the dula standards of administration.
How LUMS spends on pretentious activities instead of student’s well-being. One user alleged that they even embezzle money from different event management projects.
Students Standing Up To The Unjust Ruling
Many Luminites may argue that fee hike will not impact students who are receiving financial aid. But this is not the case, not every student gets financial aid despite being eligible for it as this student explains.
Due to lockdown in the pandemic, it is understandable how hard it is to manage finances. Still LUMS pulled off this stunt to make student’s lives further difficult. They are standing up for protest because the new fee situation can be beyond realistic.
Another student pointed towards the deeply rooted corruption in this country. Universities must consider their workforce as well instead of focusing on key shareholders. There must be a balance otherwise there is no point in keeping this university running.
How Can LUMS Ask For This Much Fee?
After hearing the students protesting on social media, the university has probably manipulated the credit hour system to reach a desired amount. LUMS reportedly increased 13% fee per credit hour and currently the fee for 20 credit hours is 340,200 (LUMS website data). Cost of one credit is (340,200 divided by 20) equal to 17010, plus the 13% increase becomes 19220 approximately.
So the actual fee should have been (340,200 + 19220 =) 359,420 but according to tweets, students are asked to pay nearly 500k each. They must have added an extra 150,000 to further increase the fee as if it wasn’t high enough already.
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