EDITORIAL: Timely disbursement of stipend will improve livelihoods of needy varsity students

Beneficiaries of the monthly university study stipend will start receiving the allowance on time to avoid any inconveniences. The pledge was made by the Minister for Education on Friday. In the past, the stipend would delay for as many as five months, largely due to a long chain of approvals. But, with the new changes in the management of the university study loan scheme, bureaucracy has been broken up. Financially disadvantaged students do not have many options to meet their needs. Indeed, any delay in getting the stipend affects both their social and academic lives. It is, therefore, encouraging that the Ministry has promised to put an end to the problem of delayed disbursement of the stipend. The concerned authorities should ensure that this policy is implemented to the letter to ensure that beneficiaries are comfortable and are able to concentrate on their studies instead of worrying about not having basic needs like it was the case in the past. Related to the above, some students have expressed concerns over the change in the university study loan scheme, which will see the living allowances channeled to beneficiary accounts, and the students will be responsible for the management of the funds on their accounts. While most students expressed concern over the new system, it will instill a culture of savings and responsibility among the students. At university, a student should be responsible enough to manage their finances and to take care of all their subsistence needs, which is good for their personal development.

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EDITORIAL: Timely disbursement of stipend will improve livelihoods of needy varsity students