The University of Otago Alumni Chapter (Samoa) commits $10,000 towards fees assistance

 

The University of Otago and its Alumni Chapter (Samoa), LA O SAMOA, is offering 10,000 Samoan tala for fee assistance to Samoan students at The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Samoa Campus in 2023.

It is expected that ten USP students from the Samoa Campus would receive $1,000 each towards their fees. The eligibility criteria are anticipated to be sent with the funds before the start of Semester 1 2023.

The University of Otago ten-member delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor David Murdoch visited the Samoa Campus last month and was received by the Campus Director, Tootoooleaava Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa, Student Administrative Services Coordinator, Seulgee Samuelu and Seve Dr Folototo Seve (SAFE).

A symposium was held on the 60th Anniversary of the Samoa – New Zealand Treaty of Friendship where the Deputy Vice-Chancellor External Engagement, Professor Tony Ballantyne shared a presentation from a New Zealand perspective while Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa presented on a Samoan perspective.

Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa said, “The fees assistance funds are to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship and the University of Otago matched $10,000 funds raised by the local Alumni Chapter for Otago”.

“Samoa Campus is always grateful for assistance from partners here in the community and abroad to help our students with fees, especially with COVID and other financial demands making this the biggest barrier to receiving a tertiary education,” she added.

The Samoa Campus Director also said, “The Bursary Scheme and the partial scholarship recently launched by Pacific TAFE for Foundation studies at USP are great initiatives, but we need assistance like this to further meet the need”.

She highlighted that other NGOs such as Rotary offered similar assistance and the Government of Samoa offered 20 Scholarships each year for the Bachelor of Agriculture adding that every dollar counted towards getting students across the line.

“This assistance makes me extra proud to be an Otago alma mater and I hope it can be sustained going forward. The University of Otago initially signed an MOU with USP in 2004,” Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa said.

 

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