Varsities adjusting course fees

Weakening ringgit: Some private universities are restructuring their courses and fees to lessen the financial burden faced by their students.

PETALING JAYA: Some private universities have started making changes to their courses and fees in the wake of the weakening ringgit.

The programmes were being restructured to lessen the financial burden faced by their students, some said.

Taylors University’s American degree transfer programme dean Dr Andy Nazarechuk said its twinning courses allowed students to do two years on campus here and two years abroad.

“This will be changed to three years here and one year abroad,” he said.

Taylors would also look into introducing more local courses by January, said Dr Nazarechuk.

A private university in Daman­sara plans to increase course fees starting next year.

“There will be changes come January,” said its representative, who declined to be named.

He reported that there was no significant drop in the number of students enrolling in its twinning courses, “but this could change after the fee restructuring is confirmed”.

UCSI University’s international university collaboration centre manager Erniechitra Dzureen said the weakening ringgit might not deter parents from sending their children overseas.

“Malaysian parents are willing to spend whatever amount needed to give their children the education they want,” she said.

Dzureen said education in Australia costs almost twice as much as in the United Kingdom, but parents would still push for their children to go to Australia.

“This was when the exchange rate was better, and even then, they were willing to fork out RM150,000 to RM180,000 more for an Australian education,” she said.

However, she expects some UCSI students to look at completing their courses without going overseas, especially if the ringgit depreciates further.