DHERST pays K41million for Tertiary Education Study Assistant Scheme

The Department of Higher Education Research, Science and Technology or DHERST has paid a total of K41 million for the Tertiary Education Study Assistant Scheme or TESAS to tertiary institutions in the country.

Acting DHERST Secretary, Father Jan Zcuba told NBC Online that half the TESAS budget of K83-million for this year has been settled.

He also urged tertiary institutions to submit their acquittals on time to receive the government assistance.

“K30.1 million from last year was paid in January; however, you have heard that some institutions haven’t received their Cheque for the first semester because they did not provide on time acquittals,” Acting Secretary Zcuba said.

Acting Secretary Fr Zcuba also clarified  that about K42-million will be paid to Tertiary institutions for student's Higher Education Loan Program for semester one once Cheques are being cleared by the Department of Finance.

 Fr. Jan Zcuba said student's HELP program is provided to undergraduate and post graduate students ranging from five-thousand-kina to thirty-five-thousand-kina per year.

He added that these funds will also cater for Papua New Guineans studying overseas but the same amounts will be paid across the board.

“We raise the Cheque for the first semester and we send the Cheque to the Department of Finance for clearance. Once the clearance is given, we distribute it to the institutions where students study.

“This program is a great, great assistance offered by our government to students because in the college students can apply for K5, 000 a year, undergraduate, university K10, 000.

“And you have for the first time that students doing master's degree can apply for K25, 000 a year and PhD students K35, 000 can apply a year.

“So this Higher Education Loan Program helps students from undergraduate all the way to postgraduate.  So every student who wants to study can apply, as long as they are a citizen, as long as they are enrolled.