More than 33-thousand scholarship recipients have failed to complete their studies or had their awards terminated, with an estimated 235-million-dollars in taxpayers’ money associated with these cases.

Behind the figures are interrupted studies and unfulfilled career plans, with Education Minister Aseri Radrodro highlighting the need for students to make informed decisions before entering university.

Since the establishment of the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service in 2014, Government has invested approximately 1.418-billion-dollars in tertiary and vocational education, supporting more than 90-thousand students.

When questioned by the media about the non-completions, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel stressed the importance of ensuring that Government’s investment leads to successful graduates.

“Increasing access without improving completion and employment outcomes is not sufficient” Immanuel said.

The Education Minister is urging students to seek guidance from TSLS, parents and guardians before choosing their university programmes, as some students later discover they have enrolled in the wrong course.

“My message to all of the students is to ensure that they need to make contact with the TSLS. Make contact with parents and guardians to ensure that they are well informed in making decisions on the programs that they take in the university” Radrodro said.

TSLS is also strengthening its support for students experiencing academic difficulties, while reminding scholarship recipients of their responsibilities under Government-funded schemes.

“We need to understand that there are many genuine reasons why students may fall, may lose out, or may not perform, and there are also those with less genuine reasons” Dr Apisalome Movono highlighted.

The challenge now is to help students complete their qualifications and ensure Government’s investment in education creates meaningful opportunities for graduates and a stronger workforce for Fiji.

By: Joeli Ragoneliwa