Review aims at balancing country’s needs and dreams of Fijians

The Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board wishes to categorically denounce any misinformation being spread that the current review of the national priority areas is aimed at restricting students’ choices, curtailing the student’s aspirations or any attempts to reduce the budgetary allocation for the scholarship and loans schemes.

The terms of reference for the current review are clear and is noticeably stated in the call for public submission. The principle objective of the review is to identify the human resources needs of the industry sectors (Public/Private and NGO) for the next 10 years in a consultative approach. The review is further aimed at identifying the new fields that need to be addressed in the priority areas for funding under the scholarship and loans schemes.

At the same time, the review will assist TSLB in identifying skills that are becoming obsolete/redundant so that appropriate recommendations could be made for upskilling of the workforce. The Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board further wishes to advice Fijians that this is not the first time that a review of

Since the inception of the new schemes in 2014, several major changes have been accommodated to benefit the Fijians. Few of the changes that have been made to schemes following annual reviews are:

■ Increase in the number of schemes to assist the Fijians from 6 schemes in 2014 to 15 schemes currently (few are suspended for 2021);

■ Increase in the bus fare entitlement from $15/week to $30/week for TELS students;

■ Inclusion of incidental allowance of $1000/annum for TELS students;

■ Increase in supplementary allowances for the students under the donor funded bilateral scholarships from USD$1600/annum to USD$2400/annum on the request of the students;

■ Introduction of the Scholarship Scheme for the Students with Special Needs (SSSN);

Introduction of the National Toppers Overseas Scholarship; and

■ Funding of repeat courses under TELS. Continuous review and deliberation in the past clearly demonstrate that the schemes has been undertaken. such actions are not aimed at disadvantaging the Fijians, but rather an attempt to continuously improve the welfare of Fijians.

This is also evident by the fact that what started with 5940 students in 2014 has amplified to 44,812 as at 31 July 2020 (the last TSLB financial year).

Following the past reviews, there has been a significant increase in the amount of funds allocated by the Fijian Government for investment in the Tertiary, Technical and Vocational Education through TSLB.

The schemes commenced in 2014 with a combined budgetary allocation of $78,920,000 and peaked at $255,047,500 in the financial year 2018/2019. For the current financial year, the allocation stands at $161,105,273.

However, this is the first detailed and extensive review of the priority areas since the inception of the National Toppers Scholarship Scheme and the Tertiary Education Loans Scheme in 2014. Source: Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board

Read more on..