Scholar scheme to aid good students

By ARMSTRONG SAIYAMA
DWU journalism student
ALL new applicants for the Morobe provincial government Gearson-Solulu scholarship scheme should have the grade point average of 2.5 and above, says deputy governor and education chairman Morokoi Gaiwata.
“For the continuing Morobe tertiary students, they will only need to submit their transcripts to be awarded a scholarship for this year,” he said.
“There’s no grade point average cut-off mark for the old scholarship recipients.
“This is a golden opportunity for them to do their homework to perform academically and to have good discipline records in their schools,” Gaiwata said.
The deputy governor said the scholarship policy was a “living document” and could be changed by the provincial executive council only.
“We will review the guidelines of the scholarship,” he said.
He added that the MPG had budgeted K4 million for the scholarship programme.
The Waria LLG president said this scholarship programme had crippled the province’s budgets.
“We are reviewing the scholarship guidelines as the scholarship over the years takes more students than our allocated budgets,” Gaiwata said.
However, the Morobe Tertiary Students’ Union (MTSU) is urging the PEC to revoke its decisions to allocate K4 million to the scholarship.
Union president Offo Olio said the reduction in the scholarship budget from its annual K5 million funding would affect nearly 3,000 students from the 20 higher learning institutions of the country.
Olio added: “The Morobe government should increase the scholarship budget to K8 million.
“The MTSU was not consulted of all the PEC’s decisions to the scholarship guidelines and budget.”
Olio urged the PEC to revoke its decisions.
But Gaiwata said: “The PEC is the highest decision making body in Morobe, and our doors are open for consultation.”
Olio called on Governor Kelly Naru to meet with the MTSU executives this week.