Hidden Fee Charges, others, a concern To Nigerian Students And Their Parents

By Editor

 

The international education market is fast expanding in scope and size. Undoubtedly, Nigeria is an ultra-rich hunting ground for foreign schools. Some see sending their wards abroad to study as a status symbol, others are doing so owing to the increasing lack of access in Nigeria tertiary institutions. Many of these foreign institutions are constantly wooing Nigerian students. The implication of this is that both good and bad are in equal measure. While some of these school placement agencies are merely looking for unsuspecting parents and students to fleece, the chances of hidden charges popping up in the course of the students’ academic odysseys remain high.

Why some opine that most Nigerian students study abroad just for the sake of status symbol, other stakeholders disagree with such assertion, insisting that foreign academic training remains the best especially in the area of professionalism, work etiquette amongst others.

Mrs. Ebi Obaro, President of Maple Education Canada Inc., and a member of Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, is a firm believer of the later. According to her: “Maple does not have hidden charges. Right from the outset when we counsel our clients on admissions processing, we tell them what our charges are, hence, they sign an agreement called Initial Consultation Agreement (ICA), which explains our fees”. Saliently, Maple education is the only agency in Nigeria that ensures that a reputable staff of the agency travels with the students to their studying destination so as to host days of counseling sessions with the students where they are guided on major discourse such as cultural shock, need to constantly maintain good grades, among others.

However, several reasons necessitate Nigerian students questing to study abroad, such as lack of admissions, strike, unqualified instructors, lack of good infrastructures and facilities. To this end, The Guardian has beamed its searchlight on a few of them.