No allowances for tertiary students under Help: Official

The National Main Stories

STUDENTS in higher education institutions will not be receiving allowances under the Higher Education Loan Programme (Help), an official says.
They used to receive allowances under the Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (Tesas), according to Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) secretary Fr Jan Czuba.
He said they would meet only the students’ travel expenses.
“We want to encourage students to be responsible for their education and take it seriously,” he said.
“Under Help, DHERST will pay for students’ tickets, learning and teaching resources, as well as boarding and lodging fees. (No) pocket allowances.”
He said the whole idea behind Help was to make students more independent in the future.
They will have only one institution to repay their loans to after graduating.
“In our Melanesian culture, relatives who offer help when you are in school tend to remember their contribution for the rest of their lives.
“And that makes you feel like you have to always give something back to them.”
Fr Czuba said Prime Minister James Marape would be pushing for a decision to make Help accessible to all students in higher education institutions regardless of grades.

6 comments

  • Not giving them an allowance defeats the purpose of being independent in the future, because they will be indebt to relatives or who ever gives them pocket money. So it will not be paying back the loan only, but all parties including their parents when they start working…give them allowance to after all they will be repaying that also.??

  • That is great idea initiative by the Government, but they need to include one thing, that is the POCKET allowance for the student because they will still have necessary needs, like stationery, toiletries & etc…
    If the Government will not assist with the pocket allowance, then they (student) will have to depend on the relatives again and which will be a burdens to them in near future as part of the Melanesian culture, the relatives will still demand for assistance.

  • I think the major components of the student study life is met by dherst and their pocket money should be met by their parents. Thats fair.

  • The pocket money is a joke…I’ve been in Tesas scholarship for 2years and so far there has not been any pocket money … What differences is HELP gonna do? Except plunge us directly into depts as soon as we graduate….. And with the lack of Job opportunities .!!.who knows now….

  • Can we have real free education..the highest resource the government should be investing the more, is the human brain..It is the brain that defines all other resources we acquire. Why are we suppressing ourself..

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