Don’t take TESAS away

The National Letters

I WRITE as a concerned student to express my disappointment over the decision to phase out Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS).
TESAS is merit based as it recognises students’ hard work and commitment towards academic excellence and thus, should not be completely substituted by higher education loan programme (HELP) that aims to help the general student body.
TESAS not only rewards hard working students, but is also a motivating factor that drives underperforming students to work harder to earn a scholarship.
Meanwhile, relieving parents, guardians and corporate sponsors off tuition fee, travel arrangements and pocket allowances.
With the newly introduced student’s loan scheme, HELP, what criteria will the government use to select students who will be eligible to take out a loan under this loan scheme?
Will there be any special privileges for eligible students like travelling arrangements and pocket allowances similar to TESAS?
The way I see it, those who perform exceptionally well would still owe the government a burdensome future of debt repayment than a non-eligible student, which is unfair.
For parents, the burden will now be to pay for the sky-rocketing air fares for students flying in and out from institutions reachable only by air on what the government normally provides under TESAS via the Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology travel arrangements. HELP maybe a good initiative by the Government but, it should complement the already established TESAS.
As such, it should help all tertiary students regardless of their academic results. This will serve the objective of HELP to assist as many students as possible. Can the government re-evaluate their decision to replace TESAS with HELP?

Gaindu Taskforce,
Fourth Year Medical Student,
DWU

9 comments

  • TESAS is more suitable and convenient then HELP hence it has some consequences but its beneficial is more reliable due the lack of accessability of informations to pupils who’s are under the HECAS. It helps to cater for travel cost and accommodations for travelling students. The other thing is many students don’t come from the working class backgrounds and HELP is very costly and requires many things like NID and good grading. So think Western idea simple would not work out here because we are way back in terms of technology, economy and many more..

  • I am a school leaver. I think TESAS is still a good option. Because the way I see it, having a loan with HELP in the near future for students who’ve graduated from colleges and universities will become a heavy burden for them. And thus it will drain the student’s income as an employee and will make it harder for them to save up for their own future. I hope the government changes its mind on this decision.

  • Education should be the prioritized rather than sports and other unnecessary activities like sports. Let the old system of tesas remain. Good points, loan is useless and not helpful to students who commit their time in studies.

  • HELP only encourages a next generation of borrowers in a country that is already in so much debt. TESAS encourages students to obtain good grades and releases the burden of travelling to and from institutions every year, therefore it should remain.

  • As a tertiary concern students I can see this school fee loan (HELP) is depriving the rights of students concerning their future living standards and students scholarship through Texas. I want TESAS to be back.
    On the other hand I see that today government is just playing around the policy this is already in place by O’Neill government and making it more complicated for some of the parent.
    I wish they should be in the village so they can feel the pain the parents are facing today. The School Fee Problems. HELP school fee schemes is not helping, it is making the system more harder in the future. I can see that in the future I will have to spend 3-4 years repaying loan instead of doing something great.

  • Politics have caused so much hovoc already. Enough of this and leave TESAS the way it is. TESAS most importantly as oulined Motivates Students to Achieve Better Marks.

  • Agree. HELP should compliment TESAS in which those parents whose children are on self sponsor and also who cannot afford to pay for their children’s fees can then apply for HELP

  • I agree, both tesas and loan scheme to operate. Now, student on hecas and Aes should borrow less since government should pay other half through scholarship. Those are not on scholarship will pay full meaning borrow full money from government to pay off their fees.
    Appreciate the hard working student… please!

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