Gov’t Clarifies Support for Private University Students Amid Funding Withdrawal Claims

The Universities Fund has responded to claims that the government has withdrawn financial support for students enrolled in private universities.

In a statement on Thursday, April 17, the fund noted that students who were already benefiting from earlier arrangements will not be abruptly cut off, even as new funding guidelines take effect.

"Private university students who were funded under the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) as Government Sponsored Students will continue to receive government scholarships until completion of their studies," the statement read.

Explaining the structure of the revised system, the fund noted that government support is now split between scholarships and loans, depending on the type of institution a student attends. 

Under this framework, those placed in public universities benefit from a dual support system involving both grants and credit facilities.

However, students admitted to private universities are eligible for financial assistance exclusively through loans issued by the Higher Education Loans Board, without access to direct government scholarships.

"Under the Student-Centred Funding Model, the government is funding university students through scholarships and loans. 

"Students placed in public universities receive scholarships from the Universities Fund and loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)," the statement added.

This comes weeks after HELB issued a warning over a recruitment scam targeting unsuspecting job seekers with fake promises of employment opportunities at the institution.

In a statement on Thursday, February 12, HELB cautioned members of the public against dealing with individuals or agencies purporting to offer HELB jobs in exchange for money or additional documentation not formally required in official job advertisements.

"The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) wishes to inform members of the public and all job applicants that HELB does not recruit through agents or third-party agencies," the notice read.

HELB explained that applicants are not required to make any form of payment or submit extra documents beyond what is outlined in official vacancy notices.

"Further, HELB does not require applicants to pay any fees or submit medical reports or any other documents outside those clearly stated in the official job advertisement," the notice added.

HELB urged the public to exercise caution and verify any recruitment communication through its official channels before taking action.

"Members of the public are advised to be vigilant and avoid engaging with individuals or groups claiming to represent HELB in exchange for employment opportunities," the notice further read.