Swansea University: Nigerian students thrown off courses after fees paid 'hours late'

Students from Nigeria studying at Swansea University claim they have been thrown off their courses, threatened with security and told to return home after their tuition fees were paid "hours late".

Three students approached ITV News Wales to say they have been left with the prospect of deportation despite handing over thousands of pounds to the university. 

They claim they informed the university that their fees may arrive late due to a banking crisis suffered during Nigeria’s presidential election in February of this year, when the country fell into a cash crisis when it attempted to replace its old currency with a new one.

The students provided ITV News Wales with evidence that shows payments of up to £4,000 were made hours after the deadline on 27 of March by the university. 

One student claims they have been removed from their course despite making the tuition payment within the deadline.

All the students were enrolled on master's courses at the School of Management at Swansea Universities Bay Campus. 

Swansea University said it has been "saddened" over recent months to hear of the difficulties of the banking situation in Nigeria and that they had dealt with the students on multiple occasions, offering guidance about their situation and advice about the best course of action to protect their opportunities for future studies.

Omolade Olaitan, 27, said the recent election meant it became impossible to transfer money from her bank in Nigeria to Swansea University within the time frame. 

Her student account showed her tuition fee payment cleared in the university account on Wednesday 29 March, two days after the deadline. 

She said “hours” separated her payment arriving from the deadline set by the university.

Despite this, she said she was notified by the university that she would no longer be able to study, and should return home and defer her studies.

Omolade told ITV News Wales: “I am this close to losing my sanity as a human being.”

“On the 29th (March) I got an email from income tuition. They confirmed my payment and they told me that because the payment didn’t come in before the deadline, they can no longer allow me to enrol and that I should pack my bags and go back to my home country.”

Omolade said despite no longer being enrolled on her course, she continues to submit assignments and answer exam questions for the International Management degree with friends providing her with course materials. She does this in the hope that the university will change its mind and allow her to study once more.

“I promised my mother back home in Nigeria that I am coming here to develop myself", she said.

"Every day my mum calls me and asks how is school going. I can’t even tell her. This is the situation I am in because I don’t want her to get worried, it is that bad.

“I am doing this (speaking out) not because of me, I am doing this for people that are coming after me. I wouldn’t want them to be in this same situation. Living in uncertainty for months, it is difficult mentally.”

Emmanuel Okohoboh was due to start a business management master's degree at Swansea University this year. The 26-year-old said his family sold their property to raise enough funds to pay for his tuition fees. 

He claims despite problems transferring funds from his account in Nigeria, his payment of £4,000 arrived with the university before the 27 March deadline. 

Although, he said he also received an email informing him he would no longer be enrolled on his course and should defer his studies after failing to submit a late enrollment form.

"They are not fair, they are not compassionate, they are showing no signs of empathy", he said.

Emmanuel claims when he and fellow students went to the faculty department to plead their case, they were threatened with being escorted off campus by security. He said the university has yet to return any of his money. 

“It was really difficult getting all the money and resources", he continued.

"I had to sell my dad's land and a piece of my own personal land to get the resources to come to Swansea University to study. Coming here and going through this situation has been mentally draining and frustrating for me."

In response to these claims, Swansea University confirmed that staff did warn the students security would be called if they didn't leave the faculty office, but only after the students had made multiple visits and were told nothing more could be done to help them.

Swansea University has an international student population of around 3,500 pupils and is viewed as a popular institution for those wanting to study overseas. 

The vast majority of overseas students in the UK originate from Nigeria with only China and India providing more international students. 

Founder of Swansea charity Bame Mental Health Support, Alfred Oyekoya, said he is angry with the stance taken by Swansea Univeristy. 

“How can you even justify that kind of attitude?", he said.

“You can’t. Because you have to understand that when people move from a particular county to another country for the purpose of study, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

“What the university see’s is the £8000 fees, but behind the senses, I can assure you, there is a family either selling a property, depriving themselves of an income, doing big things to raise that sum of money.

“For the university to say to those individuals who have come here to study to go back home and also holding on to their payments, how do you reconcile that?”

Paulette Ojogun, 30, came to Swansea with hopes of completing a marketing management degree. Like the other students, she made her initial tuition fee payment but could not pay her second instalment within the deadline. Her payment cleared in the university’s account the Monday after the deadline. 

She told ITV News Wales she had been left with feelings of "shame and desperation".

“The four walls of this university keep me going.” she said.

“I am happy that I am here, I am happy that I am studying, so why would you take that away from me because my school fees came in late? I’ve explained everything to them, I sent emails, and they still would not give me a listening ear.”

Swansea University confirmed a number of students met their payment obligations within the deadline and were subsequently reinstated on their course. Those who didn't were advised to defer their studies and return to their home country.

A spokesperson for the university said: “We have been saddened over recent months to hear of the difficulties of the banking situation in Nigeria and the impact that this has had upon the wellbeing of our Nigerian students.

“The University requires all international students to pay 50% of their fees in order that they may fully enrol on their programmes of study and all international students are informed of this within their original offer letters and associated pre-arrival communication.

“The University has closely monitored the deteriorating situation in respect of the impact of the Nigerian banking crisis and we have revised our existing policy around payment of fees and enrolment to further support our students.

“The University has put in place extended deadlines in order to allow as much time as possible for payments to reach us whilst ensuring that all times the University acted in accordance with its requirements under its UKVI sponsor licence.

“Our Faculty team dealt with the students on multiple occasions, offering guidance about their situation and advice about the best course of action to protect their opportunities for future studies.

“However, when there was no further information or help the Faculty could offer and the individuals had been unenrolled by the University, they continued to make repeated visits to the faculty office and so were asked to leave by staff.”