“UL Must Not Fail”; Sen. Konneh Makes A Case For Liberia’s Premier University

Gbarpolu County Senator, Amara M. Konneh, has made a pressing case for the University of Liberia (UL) not to fail, noting that UL needs sustainable funding, real autonomy, and real accountability.

Senator Konneh said the University of Liberia (UL) is one of the schools he regrets not attending, as the institution is not just a university; it is Liberia.

The senator noted that UL is where “our presidents, chief justices, doctors, teachers, and journalists were made. From Monrovia to Gbarpolu, every Liberian family has a UL story.”

He said, “If UL fails, we don’t just lose a school—we lose our pipeline of professional skills. We lose Lux in Tenebris—light in darkness.”

The University of Liberia has been closed for several weeks now due to unresolved concerns raised by the Faculty and Staff Association (ULFASA), coupled with the Student Unification Party’s demand for the total transformation of the institution, amidst budgetary constraints and heightened political atmosphere.

Senator Konneh alluded, “Yes, there are problems: overcrowding, unpaid staff, decaying labs, free tuition with no funding. But we cannot throw away 163 years of history.

“Free tuition is good. But free tuition without funding for labs, libraries, research capabilities, and lecturers isn’t free—our students pay for it through poorer learning. Even in the United States, where I was privileged to acquire my postsecondary education, subsidized state universities charge fees to fund research, modernize classrooms, and attract qualified professors.

“According to U.S. News & World Report, undergraduate tuition and fees are approximately $21,098 for in-state (PA resident) students and $43,490 to $44,500+ for out-of-state (non-PA resident) students for the 2026–2027 academic year at Penn State University Park, a state-subsidized university and UL President Layli Maparyan’s alma mater. Nothing is free today,” Senator Konneh observed.

He emphasized that UL needs sustainable funding, real autonomy, and real accountability. “When we return from legislative recess, I will ask the Senate Committee on Education to hold a public hearing on UL’s future,” he vowed. “We must fix UL; Liberia cannot grow if UL doesn’t.”