In a statement today, UM said only students who did not update their sponsorship status, were in receipt of education aid or genuinely required financial assistance would be affected by the policy.

“The student affairs division will coordinate any appeal for financial assistance subject to eligibility,” it said in the statement.

“For sponsored students, registration for the semester is allowed, but it is their responsibility to ensure that their sponsors settle the bill.”

UM further said students who required financial aid would be allowed to register for classes but they must settle their tuition fees before the seventh week of the first semester.

The university said the debt from unpaid fees was increasing month by month.

It said unpaid fees amounted to RM51.2 million in June compared with RM47.3 million in December 2022.

Earlier today, the university students’ union had urged the administration to drop the policy because those unable to settle their fees could not register for courses and modules for the coming semester.

It said the sudden change in policy, without prior notice by the university’s administration, affected all students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds who did not have stable financial resources.