The presence of students from Haiti at Dominican universities is increasing by the day. According to El Caribe, citing figures from the Central Bank, they pay some US$120 million in tuition and fees every year. Student number estimates vary wildly, from some 12,000 according to some publications to the 1,917 officially registered by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. Both the Central Bank and the Dominico-Haitian Observatory cite the larger figure.
There is agreement, however, on the statistic that Haitians make up over 70% of all foreign students in the Dominican Republic.
El Caribe reporters talked to students at the UASD, O&M and UTESA universities where it appears that issues surrounding their credentials are causing some Haitians, residents in the Dominican Republic, to be charged the higher fees corresponding to foreigners. Most universities, nevertheless, charge Haitian students local fees.
Most Dominican universities have a number of Haitian students, for example, UTESA has 885, the PUCMM has 492 and the UASD has 123, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.