Paying for a ghost student

I paid tuition fees directly to the university for three years, believing my child was enrolled. I recently discovered that my child dropped out in the first year and never attended classes. Shockingly, the university never informed me until graduation time. I am so disappointed and want my money back. Since my child was never a student there, why didn’t the university notify me earlier?

AA, Iringa

We are sorry to hear this. Your question raises serious questions about parenting challenges and transparency in higher education. Universities in Tanzania operate under the oversight of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), established under the Universities Act, Cap. 346 [R.E. 2023]. However, refunds and fee policies are typically governed by each university’s internal regulations. We have limited facts regarding your case, so we cannot provide a specific answer.

Generally, universities require students to formally withdraw within a specified period to qualify for refunds. If your child did not submit withdrawal paperwork, the university may argue that fees were properly charged because the student remained on the books. Regarding the University informing you of your child’s absence, universities generally communicate directly with the student because, legally, the student is the contracting party. Even if a parent or sponsor pays fees, the institution is not automatically obliged to report the student’s absence to the parent unless the parent is formally recognized as the sponsor in the student’s records. Nonetheless, even where a sponsor is recorded, the Universities are not legally bound to provide updates on attendance unless a specific agreement exists.

That said, if the university continued to accept tuition for 3 years while knowing the student was inactive, you may have legitimate grounds to challenge the institution. You can lodge a complaint with the TCU, which has the authority to investigate the university. Consult your lawyer for further guidance.