Higher Education Commission Fiji negotiates funding for institutions that missed criteria

The Higher Education Commission Fiji (HECF) is still negotiating with Government over institutions that received grants despite not meeting funding criteria.
Today, HECF director Eci Naisele acknowledged that ServicePro International and Pacific Polytech would receive funding, even though they did not go through the proper HECF processes.
“We’re still negotiating with the Government, but eventually it’s not about the institutions, it's about the students. Eventually, they will receive the grants,” Mr Naisele said.
His comments come after he told Parliament last month that grants given without HECF approval could be considered illegal, as the institutions failed to meet the required criteria. The HECF follows strict procedures, where all funding recommendations must go through the permanent secretary for Education and the line minister before reaching the Ministry of Finance.
However, Finance Minister Biman Prasad has stated that final approval for grants rests with Cabinet, not the HECF.
When asked about the legal basis of the HECF’s authority, Mr Naisele said parliamentary approval exists, but the institutions did not follow the proper procedures.
“Yes, parliamentary approval is there, but apparently because the institutions didn’t come through the proper procedural criteria and hence parliamentary is a supreme law body that gives approval,” he said.
The HECF is the legally mandated body in Fiji to recommend government funding for higher education institutions, with all 49 registered institutions required to apply through its system.
Of these institutions, only 35 applied for funding this year, with institutions required to meet specific criteria including full registration status rather than provisional registration to qualify for grants.