The government spends $300,000 to fund one undergraduate student in its overseas scholarship program, a stark contrast to the $30,000 to $40,000 typically required at local universities. This difference was brought to light by Education Minister Aseri Radrodro during his Ministerial statement in Parliament on September 30, regarding the recent visit by the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) delegation to Sydney and Canberra, Australia.
Minister Radrodro stated that in order to ensure a worthy return on this significant investment, the bonding period for overseas scholarship recipients has been increased to 2.5 times the length of their studies. He further noted that the Coalition Government has launched a new initiative this financial year aimed at providing more Fijians the opportunity to access PhD scholarships to enhance Fiji’s human capital. This initiative is referred to as the Cost Sharing Overseas PhD Scholarship.
Under this new scheme, universities will cover tuition fees, while TSLS will handle stipends, airfare, and other associated costs. This arrangement will save Fijian taxpayers $300,000 for each four-year PhD program, resulting in the graduation of top-quality professionals.
The University of Newcastle was the first institution to join the Cost Sharing Overseas PhD initiative. Minister Radrodro also mentioned that the purpose of the delegation’s visit was to assess student welfare and well-being while engaging directly with university executives and students to address any issues raised.