New scholarship students upset by delays in fee payments

More than 30 first year Vanuatu Government scholarship students, from the University of the South Pacific Emalus Campus in Port Vila, have raised concerns over a delay in the Government’s payment of their course fees.

The concerned students say the fee payments were due to be made by the Government on Friday but there has been no sign of them.

Jerox Wembus, one of the concerned students, says the issue is affecting the students’ ability to focus on their studies at the university.

“What are the authorities doing? We need answers from them,” Mr Wembus told VBTC.

“The students are worried because many of us came from the outer islands and we have already overspent on our stay here and on our studies.”

He says his own parents and those of other students cannot afford to pay the costly fees because they have a difficult time just covering basic living costs in the islands.

This morning the students gathered at Emalus Campus to voice their concerns and discuss the Government’s failure to pay the fees.

The students graduated from Year 13 in 2020 and have just entered the university this year sponsored by the Vanuatu Government.

Another student, Doddy Morris, says the students are very unhappy about the delay.

“The authorities have given us hope by offering us these scholarships, so we can afford to study and find a job in the future,” Mr Morris said.

“But why now have they not paid for the course fees?”

Vanuatu’s Scholarship Director, Anne Rose Tjiobang, asked the concerned students to seek advice and answers from the Ministry of Education and Training’s scholarship office.