Students ask govt to reconsider decision on scholarship

Momase

A GROUP of students have requested the Morobe government to reconsider its decision to cha nge the Gerson-Solulu scholarship programme.
Members of the Morobe Tertiary Students’ Union handed a letter to deputy Morobe Governor Waka Daimon in Lae.
The student body consists of more than 5000 students attending 23 tertiary institutions.
Union secretary Ixzara Bakung said the students who were benefitting from the programme were concerned about the changes made to it by the administration.
The changes include:

  • The Morobe government paying tuition fees only for students scoring good grade point averages in the first semester of the year; and,
  • Funding only students taking courses in engineering, health and other selected programmes.

The students said they should be consulted as recipients of the scholarship before the changes were made.
“Some of the decisions made are not fair,” Bakung said.
“We understand that the provincial government is facing tough financial times but we should at least be consulted before any changes were made.
“Many of our parents are subsistence farmers and have left for the village thinking that the provincial government will pay for our tuitions fees when our names appeared on the scholarship list.”
Bakung said Unitech students had been given until tomorrow to pay outstanding tuition fees or lose their place.
Daimon said he would take the matter up with Governor Ginson Saonu.