Malawi's five public universities have doubled their tuition fees after the government approved a 100 percent increase as an emergency measure to address a deepening financial crisis in the higher education sector.

The Secretary for Education, Dr Ken Ndala, confirmed that the universities had submitted formal requests to the Ministry of Education citing inadequate funding and mounting operational challenges.

Three options were put forward: full economic cost-recovery fees, a 60 percent cost-recovery model, or an immediate 100 percent increase on current fees.

The ministry approved the third option as the most practical short-term solution.

Ndala moved to reassure families that the increase would not shut out students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Government remains committed to ensuring that no deserving student is denied access to higher education due to financial constraints," he said.

However, education expert Wesley Mwabakulu, while welcoming the assurance, said words alone were not enough.

He called on the government to urgently improve student loan disbursement systems to ensure that financial support actually reaches those who need it -- warning that fee increases without reliable loan mechanisms risk pricing out the very students the government says it wants to protect.

The fee hike has sparked concern among students and parents already struggling with the rising cost of living, and will increase pressure on the government's student loans programme to expand its reach and improve the speed at which funds are released.