The Government spends approximately $300,000 to support one undergraduate student through its overseas scholarship program, significantly more than the $30,000 to $40,000 required for local university education.
This information was shared by Education Minister Aseri Radrodro during his speech in Parliament on September 30, regarding the recent visit of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) delegation to Sydney and Canberra, Australia.
Minister Radrodro emphasized that to ensure a return on this investment, the bond period for overseas scholarship recipients has been set at 2.5 times the length of their study.
He also announced the introduction of a new initiative aimed at increasing access to PhD scholarships for Fijian citizens, which is intended to enhance the nation’s human capital. This initiative is referred to as the Cost Sharing Overseas PhD Scholarship.
Under this agreement, participating universities will cover tuition fees, while TSLS will be responsible for providing stipends, airfare, and other related costs. As a result, taxpayers in Fiji could save $300,000 in tuition for a four-year PhD program, while still producing highly qualified graduates.
The University of Newcastle has become the first institution to join the Cost Sharing Overseas PhD initiative.
The primary goal of the recent visit was to assess the well-being of students and to engage with university officials and students directly, addressing any concerns raised by students or their institutions.