The University of Pretoria is pleased with the subsidy grant that the Minister of Education has allocated to the University, and has decided to apply a portion of the grant to reduce the increase in student fees. The nine-percent increase implemented by the University of Pretoria for 2009 is significantly below the current tertiary institution-wide inflation rate of between 12% and 13%.

The cut in the fee increase comes at a time when the global economic downturn is placing the University under severe financial pressures. The position is exacerbated by the weak exchange rate, which has caused a serious increase in the cost of library books and laboratory equipment. The University also needs to ensure that its remuneration policies and salary increases are aligned with market demands and inflation.

“The University strives to remove hurdles that may hamper students in attaining their academic aspirations. Tuition fees and related costs are major factors in this regard. The University of Pretoria is sensitive to the financial burden that costs of higher education place on students and their families, particularly in view of the global economic downturn. We have therefore decided to reduce the fee increase for 2009 by one percentage point from what was foreseen last year. Students at the University of Pretoria will also benefit by having access to more than R400 million in various forms of financial aid. By cutting back on the increase in student fees and making available significant financial aid, the University is showing its commitment to contributing to efforts aimed at making higher education more affordable and accessible”, said Professor Calie Pistorius, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University.