Scholarship lifeline for Morobe students

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
THE massive increase in fees for students attending the University of PNG this year will be a huge burden on parents, according to the UPNG Morobe Students Union.
Union president Vendenberg Guimaip said the increase from K2939 to K7500 for the tuition fee was “too big”.
He said some parents would not be able to afford it.
Although Morobe students are now relying on the provincial government’s Gerson Solulu Scholarship scheme to assist them, only
K4 million had been set aside.
Guimaip said the fee increase would meant the provincial government would have to pay more.
He said the university expected students to pay up front 70 per cent of the fees which was too high for most parents.
Guimaip questioned why they were charged a student representative council fee when there was no council last year.
He said the university was an institution of government and should therefore not be charging very high fees. “Our parents cannot afford our fees. And if our provincial government cannot help our parents, that is a huge problem,” he said.
Deputy provincial administrator social services Robin Bazzinuc said K4 million had been budgeted for scholarships in 2018. He said it did not cater for the increase in the fees imposed by universities.