A Verity News investigation has uncovered growing alarm and frustration among students at Cuttington University, where video footage, firsthand accounts, and internal documents reveal worsening living and learning conditions on the Suakoko campus in Bong County.
Despite its decades-old prestige and reputation for academic excellence, the university is now under scrutiny as students, speaking under anonymity for fear of retaliation, describes dormitories in decay, unsafe bathrooms, insufficient classroom resources, and poorly equipped laboratories that do not reflect the high fees they pay.
Video evidence obtained by this paper shows broken bathroom pipes leaking onto floors, unpainted and deteriorating dormitory structures, and uncleaned, moldy rooms that students say have not undergone proper maintenance “in years.”
High Fees, Low Returns
According to documents in the possession of this paper for the 2025/2026 academic year show science students paying US$37.50 per laboratory session, totaling US$75 for Biology and Chemistry labs. But many students say the laboratories are far from functional.
A student who spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity revealed that they are paying US$ 37.5 for just a single lab, noting that there is no proper equipment.
“We are paying 37.5 for just a single lab, and we don’t have proper lab equipment,” a Biology student lamented. “If you have two labs, you pay 75 dollars, and still the lab isn’t sophisticated. Students will stand for 1 hour and 30 minutes during the lab class.”
Another Chemistry student described deeper concerns: “I personally have had difficulty with the water we are using-it is not really safe. I’m doing Chemistry as a major, but it is frustrating to let you know that my chemistry lab demonstrator is very weak in presentation.
According to him, they allegedly requested to pay for lab materials and manual without seeing it. “Imagine paying 500LD for a lab manual without seeing it,” he asserted.
A Poor Learning Environment
The Cuttington University, Suakoko campus student frustrations stretch well beyond laboratory shortcomings.
Many of the students are now reporting a severe shortage of classroom chairs, forcing some to move from class to class hunting for seats.
Others cite the absence of Wi-Fi across the campus and dormitories, unusable bathrooms, and outdated library materials.
One student summarized the grievances: “No Wi-Fi on campus or in dormitories. Outdated library books. Unclean bathrooms, insufficient classroom chairs, poorly equipped science laboratories despite high fees and dilapidated Dormitories and Failing Maintenance.
Video footage verified by Verity News shows cracked walls, rusted bed frames, unpainted dormitories, and bathrooms in severe disrepair, situation described by students as “totally unsafe to use,” while several rooms appear un-swept and moldy, reinforcing complaints of poor maintenance.
This is how another student living on the dormitory reacted: “Sadly, this is turning into UL; comparing Cuttington University to the financially strained University of Liberia. In a dynamic and technological world, Cuttington University still grapples with mere issues,” she lamented.
The aggrieved students also pointed out to the inconsistencies in credit-hour charges.
“We are paying for 5 credit hours, and then the school says its 4 credit hours. For Biology, we pay 140-35 times four-then we pay another 37.5 for lab fees. Something is not adding up,” one science major noted.
Prestige vs. Reality
For many, the most painful aspect is the gap between Cuttington’s public image and the reality on the ground.
“If an outsider hears the name ‘Cuttington,’ they think it’s a great learning center. But those of us here are going through a lot,” a student said.
The rising chorus of student complaints reflects sinking morale and deepening dissatisfaction. Students are now calling for transparency in fee usage, improvements in classroom and laboratory conditions, and urgent repairs to dormitories and sanitation facilities.
With the academic year underway, attention is now fixed on the administration to respond decisively and address the deteriorating conditions before student unrest escalates.
