A Caribbean nation hit with disasters owes MSU Texas for overdue tuition

Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·2 min read

A Caribbean country sending students to study at MSU Texas is in debt to the university for approximately $900,000 of overdue tuition, a Midwestern State University official said.

MSU no longer accepts new students on government sponsorships from Dominica because of the outstanding balance — paid down from $1.4 million at its height, the official said.

Hit by natural disasters and COVID's impact, the Commonwealth of Dominica struck an agreement with MSU to pay its debt, Dr. Keith Lamb, MSU vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, said in a recent interview.

Students dance Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in the Caribbean Student Organization Caribfest parade at Midwestern State University.
Students dance Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in the Caribbean Student Organization Caribfest parade at Midwestern State University.

“We're very pleased to have a formal payment arrangement with the government of Dominica, and we're pleased for our students that they can continue," Lamb said. "These are some really outstanding students.”

MSU has 59 students from Dominica, including 20 grandfathered in on government sponsorships.

The university has had a longstanding relationship with the government of Dominica, which has been a good partner, Lamb said. And the government would pay all or part of a student's tuition through sponsorships, depending on each person's need.

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But the island nation's economy relies heavily on tourism, and Dominica has been dealing with hurricane damage over the years and the impact of COVID. The government fell behind on payments to MSU.

“They fell behind to a point where this past fall we did notify students that were on the government sponsorship that they would no longer be able to continue at Midwestern for the spring until payment arrangements were made with the government," Lamb said.

He said it was difficult for MSU officials to see the students in that situation although they were continuously enrolled, he said. But just the prospect of not being able to reenroll was a weight on the students.

As long as Dominica honors the payment plan, those on government sponsorships can continue attending MSU, Lamb said.

Midwestern isn't the only higher education institution the government of Dominica has fallen behind on tuition payments to.

The government ran up a tab of $3.1 million to Grambling State University in Louisiana, according to an Aug. 15, 2023, story in Dominica News Online.

It is of note that MSU has been grappling with its own financial challenges, including a budget deficit of approximately $3.6 million stemming from falling enrollment and retention.

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International students from the Caribbean have been a part of student life at MSU since the early 1990s. They have shared their cultures through the Caribbean Students Organization's Caribfest and other activities.

MSU supplied a breakdown of international students from the top 10 countries at the university:

  • India: 130

  • Nepal: 73

  • Dominica: 59

  • Bahamas: 44

  • Nigeria: 20

  • Bangladesh: 13

  • Ecuador: 10

  • Colombia: 10

  • St. Kitts and Nevis: Nine

  • Grenada: Seven

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Caribbean country owes MSU Texas for overdue tuition