TERTIARY students with maternal links to Tailevu can now access the province’s scholarship scheme.
This was approved during the Tailevu Provincial Council meeting in Ucunivanua Village, Verata, yesterday.
Scholarship committee head Dr Akanisi Kedrayate acknowledged the council for approving 40 per cent of funds collected during the Tailevu Day to go towards education.
Last year the council invested more than $30,000 to pay off tuition fees for 24 tertiary students from the province.
Dr Kedrayate said tuition fees were directly paid to the tertiary institutions for transparency matters.
“Other provinces are giving out student allowances, but we have opted to fully pay for their tuition because we want them to graduate,” she said.
“Another issue is that we need to accept students with maternal links to Tailevu.
“Some of them have immensely contributed towards the development of villages and the province as a whole; they have never been to their own villages.
“Priority will always be given to those originally from Tailevu but it is very important that we also accept those students who have maternal links to our province, this is part of our culture.”
Council chairman Rusiate Tudravu said the scholarships would be available to tertiary students with maternal links to Tailevu who were residing in villages within the province.
“I fully concur with the proposal made by Dr Kedrayate because they have contributed to the development of our province. This is the first time that our province is providing scholarships to students with maternal links to Tailevu.”
