Lebanon’s University of Balamand (UOB) has confirmed to its students that it will not be changing nor increasing the tuition fees’ exchange rate for the upcoming semester.
The UOB administration has decided to keep the exchange rate at the official government rate (1,500 LBP), the UOB Secular Club announced.
The decision comes in stark contrast to the choices taken by the American University of Beirut (AUB) or the Lebanese American University (LAU) to increase the tuition exchange rate to the semi-official rate of 3,900 LBP.
This increase led to many student-led protests against the institutions and left students with a feeling of hopelessness and uncertainty about the future of their education.
As many students can no longer afford to enroll in AUB or LAU, UOB may expect to welcome a large number of new and eager youth adamant to continue their education, despite the fact that its main campus is all the way in El-Koura, North Lebanon.
It’s worth noting that out of 8 top Lebanese universities, UOB ranked #2 best university in Lebanon after AUB for 2021, notably improving its rank this year.
If UOB sticks to the decision, it can have the potential to become the largest hub for education in North Lebanon.
