- What students who cannot afford the high school fees should do:
When unable to afford school fees, the student should talk to his trusted friends, especially his class representative, about it. Let him speak to the class representative as he/she knows everyone in the class, both the privileged and the not-so-privileged, and can ask for help on your behalf.
- What the class representative should do:
I. Request a general contribution from the class, suggesting a minimum of N500 per student. This amount is manageable, and people might be more willing to contribute without feeling burdened. Ask the student in need to also raise some amount of money.
II. Identify students who are financially well-off or whose parents are well-to-do and appeal to them on behalf of the poor students.
III. Approach lecturers who may have financial resources or are passionate about their students’ education. If the lecturers are financially capable, they can provide assistance. If not, they might still be able to gather funds from their broader networks, which are likely more extensive and affluent than the students.
- What the financially well-off students should do:
I. If they can, they should help cover the registration fees for the students in need.
II. If they are unable to cover the fees, they can discuss the matter with their parents who are financially better off. When presenting the case, it is essential to personalise it. For instance, instead of saying, “Dad, one of our classmates cannot afford the registration fees,” they can say, “Dad, my classmate, who is always punctual/hardworking/diligent/humble/religious/who helped explain a concept to me/who conducts tutorials for us/who checks up on me, etc., cannot afford the school fees.”
- What lecturers/professors/VCs can do:
They have a vast network, which often includes friends who are wealthy, work in lucrative positions, or even live overseas. They could reach out to these contacts to seek financial assistance for the students in need. Many generous people are willing to help, but may not be aware of the situation until someone approaches them.
- What the reader of this piece can do:
You can talk to someone you know that can afford to pay the registration fees for poor students and/or donate a minimum association like MSSN who are crowd funding on behalf of poor students
By following these steps, I strongly believe that the number of students projected to be unable to pay the registration fees will be significantly reduced.
May Allah provide all students with the means to pay for their registrations, amin.
Hamza Muhammad Tasiu,
Sokoto
