Students Urged to Take Loans Sensibly: Kishor
Outgoing Year 13 students who plan to secure either a National Toppers Scheme ( NTS) or Tertiary Education Loans Scheme ( TELS) were encouraged to take their loans sensibly.
The important message was highlighted to about 150 Year 13 students at the Tilak High School hall in Lautoka during the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board (TSLB) roadshow yesterday. The students were from the different secondary schools in Lautoka. The roadshows were also held in Labasa, Seaqaqa, Ba and Tavua.
Addressing the students was the TSLB administrative officer in Lautoka, Ravinesh Kishor. He said a number of students only realises the debt that needed to be paid after they secure a job after graduating. Mr Kishor said TSLB was encouraging students to apply for NTS.
“We are asking them to apply for NTS, if they are selected then good, if they are not selected their application automatically moves to TELS,” he added.
“Under the loan scheme we have the accommodation support scheme, under the accommodation support scheme students can borrow for their hostel, rent, food, fare and stationary.
“For NTS there is a minimum entry requirement for each of the categories. They need to score a mark of more than 320 for some categories or 300 for other categories, for TELS, students need to score 250 marks and above.” In Labasa, more than 50 students from 12 secondary schools and foundation students from University of the South Pacific attended the two-hour roadshow at Labasa College.
TELS Labasa administrator officer Moshim Hussain explained to them how the application process for 2021 works. A total of 600 students will be funded under the NTS, 3000 students for other institutions under TELS and 1000 students for the Technical College of Fiji.
Applications will close on January 24, 2021.