The Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro, has emphasized the necessity for stronger collaboration among universities, stakeholders, and the Tertiary Scholarship and Loan Service (TSLS), stating that students should not be viewed merely as sources of revenue.
Radrodro’s comments came in response to remarks made by TSLS Head of Student Services, Avinay Kumar, who discussed the challenges students face in securing sponsorships. During the launch of the TSLS Handbook and a workshop to raise awareness among stakeholders at the Holiday Inn in Suva, Kumar pointed out that miscommunication between universities and TSLS severely hampers students’ application processes.
He outlined instances where changes to the names of academic programs created confusion. For instance, if a program called “Professional Accounting” is renamed to “Bachelor of Professional Accounting,” the offer letters issued to students might not match the information held by TSLS, which may have records indicating the program is only a “Bachelor of Accounting.” This kind of breakdown in communication has led to students experiencing difficulties in enrolling in the correct programs.
Radrodro underscored the importance of student welfare, highlighting the need for proper enrollment guidelines and adequate academic programs. He indicated that recent policy changes for TSLS were prompted by student feedback regarding enrollment challenges, including situations where students were unable to complete courses due to programs being unavailable or lacking sufficient resources.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating unnecessary confusion surrounding student sponsorships, advocating for enhanced collaboration and dialogue among all parties to better address these issues.