Cambridge newspaper article on Kigezi "Left High and Dr

[azskeptic]

http://w3.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/...?StoryID=64099

'Left High and Dry'
Published on 30 October 2004
MEDICAL students in Cambridge have been forced to sleep on the floor of their school after being left high and dry.

Some of the students at Kigezi Medical School in Regents Terrace have been evicted from their houses and one has even slept on a park bench because the school has gone bust and has not been paying them living expenses.

Many of the American students at the Ugandan school have borrowed thousands of dollars to join up and are now considering bringing a joint lawsuit to recover the cash. The students took loans of up to $50,000 each and paid the school up front earlier this year.

Half of the money was to cover tuition fees and the other half was to be given back to students as living expenses. It has also been reported that staff at the college were not being paid.

The school's management are reportedly still in Cambridge and the students' lawyers are hoping to meet two Americans, executive director John Stone and chief administrator Heather Seagraves, to discuss how the students will recover their money.

One student told the News that despite working for two years at the school towards qualifications, she will now have to start from scratch at a new medical school because she cannot transfer her course.

She is owed $74,000 by the school.

The student, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "All the students were sent a letter saying the programme had been suspended due to a lack of funds - it is the most unbelievable story.

"Some students were evicted because they couldn't pay their rent. We have had some students staying in the school library and there was even one sleeping on Parker's Piece."

The students' solicitor, Glynne Stanfield, from Cambridge law firm Eversheds, told the News: "The owners are Ugandan but there is some American management in Britain and they have not left Britain.

"I understand that the school has got itself into certain cashflow difficulties and the effect of that is damaging to students. There are 75 students there and they have been left high and dry.

"One of the options may be to bring a claim against the school's management but it is quite early days. We are trying to arrange to meet up with the people who own the school. One of the things we are looking at is whether there has been any criminal activity and if that is the case then we will talk to the police."