DHERST explains why students missed out on loan program
The Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) has explained that students attending Port Moresby Technical College (POM Tech) that have enrolled in the non-accredited programs are ineligible to apply for the government loan scheme.
The explanation was in response to a student protest held last Thursday regarding the selection of 150 students from the first 600 who applied during the school’s registration.
POM Tech is a registered institution with registered courses and is part of the transitional institutions that are under the Higher Education Reform orbit as per National Executive Council (NEC) Decision No:25/2017.
Whilst diploma programs are Certificate IV programs were accredited by the Department of Education (DoE) and are recognized by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), POM Tech also offers programs that are not in the qualifications framework.
Therefore, under the reform and when the Bill is passed, DHERST will work with the HEI to upgrade its programs and go through the accreditation process.
Students who were selected for not-yet-accredited programs are not eligible in the 2020 HELP roll out, but they may be eligible in the near future.
It is important to note that the National Certificate programs are not in the national qualifications framework and are yet to be accredited.
– Statement from DHERST
According to student leader Namsi Hasifangu, around 1200 students, which is about 90 percent of the student population had applied for the loan program with an expectation that they would succeed for this loan.
Students were not promised the loan.
Students were informed that if they meet the eligibility they may be eligible to apply for HELP.
– explained DHERST
It said 13 students did not correctly fill the application form and failed to provide required documentation.
Some students are without school leaver certificate numbers and NID, therefore, are not eligible till such time they produce the requirement ID documentation for verification.
– DHERST statement
According to DHERST, the HELP application eligibility criteria for undergraduate statements are as follows:
- Papua New Guinea citizen, and;
- applicant is a current enrolled student at a DHERST registered HEI;
- applicant is a current enrolled student in a DHERST recognized HEI provider;
- applicant is undertaking an accredited academic program, and;
- HEI has signed Higher Education Student Support Institutional Participation and Funding Agreement.
- student has signed the HELP contract and agreed to its terms and conditions, and;
- student has correctly submitted his/her HELP online application.
Identification requirements include:
- student must have a Higher School Certificate (HSC) and School Leaver Form (SLF) number;
- student institutional identification card;
- student must have a National Identification (NID) Card;
- Tax Identification Number (TIN);
- evidence of SME participation by the student, sponsor or guarantor
In the meantime the consideration of the higher education reform bills is expected to be introduced in Parliament in August sitting, it said.
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