SHP tertiary students to get assistance

Caption:   Southern Highlands Governor William Powi

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 2, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

TERTIARY students all over the country from the Southern Highlands Province (SHP) attending major universities in the country will now benefit from subsidies in their tuition fees.

That was the announcement made by Southern Highlands Province Governor, William Powi at a conference held last week. 

The assistance will see the SHP Provincial Government pay half of all tuition fees of students from University of Papua New Guinea, University of Technology, University of Goroka, Divine Word University, Vudal University, and Pacific Adventist University.

“The Southern Highlands Provincial Government has appropriated K2 million this year on a trial basis to meet part of the tuition fees for Southern Highland students who are attending universities this year.”

“The provincial government has already written to the vice chancellors and respective admissions officers of the universities in Papua New Guinea to help us consolidate a list of Southern Highland students who are admitted to the universities,” Governor Powi said.

It will cover the new intakes as well as the continuing students and will be carried out as a trial program, which the provincial government has embarked.

“Based on this experience any improvement we need to make during the course of this- we will make and improve on it.”

“This is the first time the provincial government has undertaken such an initiative.”

“As long as they are Southern Highlanders from the province through the records we will assist them to pursue their tertiary education,” Powi said.