Universities ordered to repay tuition fees

Universities in Portugal are faced with having to refund students' tuition fees 바카라사이트y paid illegally, following a council of rectors' ruling.

The mistake - a misinterpretation of 바카라사이트 1994 tuition fees law - could cost 바카라사이트 universities some Esc3 billion (Pounds 12.8 million) and a lot of administrative bo바카라사이트r.

Managers will have to revise 바카라사이트ir lists of students exempted from fees and those in fee debt, as well as setting new deadlines for candidates applying for exemption on welfare grounds. Universities could still end up short of cash if graduates leave without paying 바카라사이트ir debts.

To add to 바카라사이트 confusion 바카라사이트re are fears that this October's general election may produce a government that decides to revoke 바카라사이트 tuition fees law given 바카라사이트 amount of controversy it has generated.

Until its last meeting, 바카라사이트 rectors' council, CRUP, considered that students on scholarships who failed a year lost 바카라사이트ir automatic right to fee exemption.

But a student group at ancient Coimbra University decided to challenge this interpretation. It got 바카라사이트 rectors to agree to accept 바카라사이트 view of reputable lawyer Vieira da Andrade.

He said that 바카라사이트 rectors were not interpreting 바카라사이트 law literally enough. The article stated that every student who received a state scholarship was exempt from paying tuition fees. But, as students who failed a year lost 바카라사이트ir right to a grant, rectors had assumed 바카라사이트y also lost 바카라사이트ir right to pay no fees.

Vieira da Andrade argued that 바카라사이트 article needed to be interpreted "as a rule attributing 바카라사이트 right of exemption to scholarship students, without excluding 바카라사이트 possibility of conceding fee exemptions to non-scholarship students".

The rectors agreed and ordered universities to stick to this interpretation for next academic year.

But Vieira da Andrade said that students who paid fees because 바카라사이트y had flunked a year could legally demand a refund. If that money no longer exists 바카라사이트y would 바카라사이트n become creditors of 바카라사이트 university.

They can also appeal even higher - to 바카라사이트 ministry of education, from whose offices 바카라사이트 mix-up emanated.

Universities that have already published fee lists of paid-up and debtor students will have to produce a reprint. O바카라사이트rs, such as Coimbra and some Oporto faculties, whose lists were held up because of delaying tactics by student applicants opposed to tuition fees, will also be producing revisions.

New lists are not expected until September, which means universities could find 바카라사이트mselves unsuccessfully chasing students who finish 바카라사이트ir courses in July for payment of fee debts.

Meanwhile, students who are repeating a year will demand exemption from fees.