The number of students to be sponsored by the higher education department, through its Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS), will decrease in 2018.
Secretary for Higher Education, Fr Jan Czuba, says the final list of students that will be released will depend on the funding allocation the Department receives.
Fr Jan said in 2018, only a small group will be sponsored under TESAS.
He said about 35 to 40, or less than that, will be receiving the Government assistance.
According to UPNG’s pro vice chancellor academic, Professor Mange Matui, about 7,000 Grade 12 students are selected to tertiary institutions every year. This is out of the 20,000 or so students.
If this is the case, from the 7,000 students, over 6,000 students that will enter tertiary institutions will have to pay self-sponsor fees.
While most tertiary institutions have not released their confirmed fees for 2018, UPNG was charging K2,939 compulsory fee for students at its Waigani Campus and between K3,029 to K3,180 for Medical Faculty students in 2017.
That was apart from the accommodation fees, which ranged between K8,562 to K12,000 depending on where the student was accommodated.
Professor Matui had indicated recently that these fees will increase dramatically in 2018.
Other tertiary institutions’ fees will vary depending on their expenses.
(Loop file pic)