Scholarship awards before semester 2

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

SCHOLARSHIP awards for successful students will be issued before semester two, says Director National Scholarship Division (NSD) 2021.

Director Curtis Kalu yesterday said: “We have explained this over and over again previously even in radio sessions and that scholarship awards to be issued to successful students before semester two, 2021 starts.”

Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development Dr Franco Rodie explained during the launch of this SIG online scholarship that a total of 1000 in country scholarship are made available for 2021.

Rodie said the increase in the total number of in-country scholarships for 2021 is a re-alignment of awards within the current budget estimates. First, this is done in consideration of the uncertainty and re-adjustment in tertiary training following Covid-19 pandemic responses in the countries of training.

On the same matter Minister for Education Lanelle Tanangada highlighted that in terms budgetary allocation for the ministry, the reduction in the budget will have significant impact on the new 1,000 in-country scholarships allocated for this year.

“From the 2020 revised budget of $105,250,466 to $50,000,000 in 2021, sees 52.5 percent cut.

“It needs to be highlighted that this will have significant impact on the new 1,000 in-country scholarships allocated for this year. 

“There is reduction in the budget by $108,053,581 which is 26.96 percent,” she said.

The 2021 Scholarship allocation by categories offered according to MEHRD are Pre-Service, Pre-Service- Constituency, In-Service – Public Sector (fully funded), In-Service – Private Sector (fully funded) and In-Service Teachers.