Egerton University resorts to CRB to collect fee arrears

NAKURU, KENYA: University students with fee arrears now risk being referred to the Credit Reference Bureau. This will come as a shocker to many after the first public university Egerton University threatened to list current and former students with the Credit bureau in a bid to recover Sh387 Million in fee arrears.
Egerton through a notice in local daily asked current and former students to make arrangements to pay fees arrears by August 31, 2016 failure to which their names will be listed in Credit Reference Bureau system.
According to Varsity's Finance Officer Moses Ouma, the move targets over 4,500 students who were supposed to have cleared by 2011 but did not graduate or clear with the institution due to various reasons.
"We are targeting the students whose duration at the university long expired but still have fee arrears at the institution. These are students who were either expelled, absconded their studies and never graduated," Mr Ouma said.
"Egerton University wishes to notify the persons, whose names and registration numbers listed in the university website to make necessary arrangements to pay to the university sums indicated against their names, being unpaid fees arrears on or before 31 August 2016," the notice stated in part.
The notice further states, "The persons are hereby notified that the university will proceed to adversely list them with the Credit Reference Bureau if the amounts remain outstanding beyond the indicated date.
Mr Ouma said the university hopes to recover the debt as well as clean up its records and asked the students whose names are listed in the varsity's website to check with the institution.