More students are benefitting from Government’s Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (TELS) since it started in 2004, says Minister for Education Mahendra Reddy.

The Education Minister was responding to queries raised by Opposition MP Mikaele Leawere in Parliament yesterday.

He said the number was expected to increase.

“In the previous government’s scholarship scheme in 2013; only 5334 students benefitted but when we came up with the new TELS scheme in 2014, 12,943 students were included which is an increase of more than 7000 from the 2013 figure; and in 2015 it increased further to 14,409.

“All eligible students can apply for the Government’s assistance provided through TELS,” he said.

“The Bainimarama Government has given a fair chance to all Fijians who want to attain higher education.”

Mr Reddy, however, noted that there had been some delay in allowances payment to students under the scheme because of incomplete or irrelevant documentation.

“Government has dismantled the system of handing out education assistance based on ethnicity; this system put in place ensures that every Fijian child that qualifies to get admission to tertiary institutions can do so,” he said.

Opposition MP Leawere then asked the Minister to clarify on the number of students that were on the scholarship and not the loan scheme.

Mr Reddy said in 2014; there were 345 students on scholarship it increased to 489 in 2015 and 579 in 2016.

Edited by Manasa Kalouniviti

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