Ukraine students under pressure over course fees

As the Indian government remains unsure about the future of the 18,000-odd students who returned from war-torn Ukraine, the students and their families are under pressure from Ukrainian universities to pay the next semester’s fees as the new academic year begins.

According to students and parents, universities and their agents are putting pressure on students by stating that if the fee is not paid on time, they will lose a year and may even lose their seats. They claim that some universities have even set September 15 as the deadline.

The students, under the banner ‘Save Ukraine Returned Students’, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation and sought a favourable decision to allow them to resume studies in India.

Many universities and their agents are insisting on fees and resume education in institutions in countries like Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Georgia.

According to one parent, not only are the expenses for those places higher than in Ukraine, but the situation in those regions is also not as safe. Some agents also tried to convince students that the situation in Ukraine is getting back to normal by sending selective videos of Ukraine.

All Kerala Ukraine Medical Students’ and Parents’ Association vice president, Venugopal Kannoth, urged that the Centre should consider the matter with priority and come out with an option for the students to resume education in India.

In a favourable move for the students, a LS committee on external affairs recommended in its 15th report submitted this month that Ukraine-returned medical students shall be allowed to continue studies in colleges in India.