Scholarship payment delays at FNU cause concern for Vanuatu parents

Some parents have expressed concern and raised alarms about the Vanuatu government's delayed scholarship payments, which have resulted in their children being unable to attend classes normally at Fiji National University (FNU). This issue surfaced yesterday, leaving many students unable to participate in online and offline courses.

One worried parent stated that their son, who received a Vanuatu government scholarship last year, contacted them yesterday morning to inform them that FNU had blocked his access to online courses due to unpaid tuition fees. Parents are frustrated, believing that their children should not have to suffer the consequences of the government's delayed payments.

One parent said, "This is not the first time this has happened. The cost of living in Fiji is constantly rising, but the scholarship allowances remain low. The Vanuatu government needs to establish a mechanism to separate education funds from the main financial system. Currently, once the budget is locked in November, the Ministry of Education cannot process payments until the new budget is passed." The parent also suggested that education funds should remain available throughout the year to ensure smooth scholarship payments, especially in December, as processing at this time is crucial for students starting their studies in January.

Gideon Joe, a finance officer at the Vanuatu Scholarship Office, confirmed that they had received inquiries from parents regarding the matter. However, he assured parents that the outstanding balance had been cleared and that the issue may stem from miscommunication with FNU's finance department. Mr. Joe stated, "We received inquiries at the office today, but the bills have been cleared. We communicated with FNU today and resent the necessary documents to their finance personnel. We also received swift confirmation from the bank that payments have been made."

Mr. Joe explained that the delays may have been caused by recent natural disasters that disrupted the Ministry of Finance, along with multiple office relocations. He believes this may have slowed down the payment processing. "The outstanding balance was from last year, but the Vanuatu government has cleared it. The total amount paid to FNU was 40,000 Fijian dollars, which is approximately 25 million Vatu," he added. "The government has been settling payments since January, not only for FNU but also for other institutions such as the University of the South Pacific (USP) and Fulton Adventist University." To reassure parents, Mr. Joe stated that the Vanuatu Scholarship Office has forwarded the payment confirmation documents to the Minister of Education and Training, as well as the Director General responsible for the matter. "The fees have been transferred, and wire transfer confirmation has been received," he emphasized.

Despite these assurances, parents are still urging the Vanuatu government to establish a more efficient scholarship payment system. Many believe that separating education funds from the general financial budget would prevent similar delays from occurring in the future.