Makerere suspends 5% late tuition surcharge after guild president intervention 

• Makerere University has suspended the 5% surcharge on late tuition payments for the current semester.

• The decision followed a plea by Guild President Gracious Kadondi over students’ financial hardships.

• Earlier, the university had warned students about deregistration and denial of examination permits over unpaid fees.

Makerere University has suspended the controversial 5% surcharge on late tuition payments, taking pressure off students ahead of commencement of the second semester exams on May 18th.

The waiver followed a plea by Guild President Gracious Kadondi over the financial hardships facing students.

The decision was communicated in a May 5 letter signed by Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Sarah N. Ssali, responding to concerns raised by the Students’ Guild regarding the strict implementation of the university fees policy ahead of end-of-semester examinations.

Earlier on April 20, Academic Registrar Prof Buyinza Mukadasi sent out communication reminding students that all tuition and functional fees had to be fully cleared by the 12th week of the semester, before examinations scheduled to begin on May 18, 2026.

The registrar warned that students who failed to register or clear tuition balances risked automatic deregistration, denial of examination permits and a 5% surcharge on outstanding balances.

“Access to examination permits whether via the student portal or through the respective College Registrars will be granted only to students who have fully paid their tuition fees,” the notice stated.

The directive triggered concern among students, prompting Guild President Gracious Kadondi to formally petition the university management on April 21.

In her letter addressed to Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, Kadondi said many students were facing genuine financial constraints due to the prevailing economic hardships affecting families and sponsors.

She warned that the surcharge and threat of deregistration would create unnecessary anxiety and disrupt the academic journey of many students struggling to raise tuition fees.

Kadondi requested the university to waive the 5% surcharge, allow late registration without automatic deregistration and permit students who had paid at least 60% of tuition to sit examinations.

“Many of our fellow students continue to face genuine financial constraints,” she wrote.

Following consultations with university leadership, the university council approved the suspension of all surcharges related to student registration and late payment of fees for the current semester.

“All surcharges related to student registration and late payment of fees for the current semester, including the 5% surcharge on outstanding tuition balances, are hereby suspended with immediate effect,” Prof Ssali said in the response letter.

However, the university maintained that all students must clear their tuition balances fully before being allowed to sit examinations, progress academically or graduate.

“Full clearance remains a mandatory condition for the issuance of examination permits, sitting examinations, progression, and graduation,” the university noted.

The university also clarified that students with outstanding balances from previous semesters would remain ineligible to sit examinations or access official academic documents such as transcripts and certificates.

Makerere said it remains open to dialogue on student welfare while maintaining fiscal responsibility

Makerere University has suspended the 5% surcharge on late tuition payments for the current semester.

The decision followed a plea by Guild President Gracious Kadondi over students’ financial hardships.

Earlier, the university had warned students about deregistration and denial of examination permits over unpaid fees.

Despite the waiver, students must still fully clear tuition balances to sit exams, progress academically or graduate.