In January 1979, the 108 Nigerian students at UT were among hundreds of the fourteen thousand Nigerian students attending US colleges and universities on scholarships from the Nigerian government whose tuition was unpaid for more than several months after it was due. UT was owed $58,000 in addition to winter tuition charges for enrolled students. UT announced it was holding all applications for admission by Nigerian students. Beginning in summer 1979, UT required Nigerian and Iranian students to pay a $3,500 deposit to cover their expenses for the year prior to enrolling.