Harare — GOVERNMENT has pegged tuition fees at $3 billion and $2 billion for State-run universities and tertiary colleges respectively to ensure affordability for deserving students.

The new fee structure has been welcomed by student bodies who said it had come as a relief to their parents and guardians who are hard-pressed by other financial obligations.

Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Dr Stan Mudenge said Government had reviewed the fees after taking into consideration the plight of students and their parents and guardians.

The new amounts were testimony of Government's commitment to developing a national skills base.

Government last week approved $360 million as tuition fees and $1,6 billion as accommodation fees for polytechnics and vocational colleges.

Before the announcement of the new fee structure, students at most State-run tertiary institutions had been asked to pay more than $15 billion for accommodation and tuition fees. The ministry has since instructed colleges to reimburse students who had paid the higher fees before the announcement of the approved fee structure.