Tuition fees at the American University in Cairo (AUC) will increase by at least 10,000 Egyptian pounds per semester and may reach "anywhere between 110,000 and 135,000 EGP per semester," according to Cairo Scene.
Tuition fees at AUC must also be paid 50 percent in Egyptian pounds and 50 percent in US dollars, a change in the way it was previously calculated.
These hikes come in the midst of Egypt's ongoing economic saga, as the Egyptian pound has devalued by nearly 50 percent drop against the United States dollar.
Following economic reforms announced last week by the government, the Egyptian pounds has been floated, interest rates have increased and subsides for fuel have been cut, raising fuel prices by as much as 47 percent. Now, students at AUC are also facing higher tuition fees.
When asked how tuition fees would be affected, president of AUC Francis J. Ricciardone said "there is no such thing as a free lunch and understanding that is part of becoming an adult," according to MadaMasr.
On Tuesday morning, Ricciardone sent an email assuring students that the administration is actively looking for solutions.
“For the immediate term, let me reassure our parents and students that we will find operational and fiscal solutions so that no current student will have to withdraw for inability to meet the tuition payments due on November 20, at the EGP prices determined previously under the former fixed exchange rate. We are studying all options to accomplish this relief for those families unable meet those payments,” he said in the email.
People took to social media to showcase the protest LIVE
Some mocked the president's comments
AUC students have the "right to demand an affordable education"
Because the tuition rise could eventually force students to switch universities
Education isn't and shouldn't be a luxury
"My father is not a thief," the posters say.