NewsWhore
12-10-2008, 04:20 PM
Budget constraints for 2009 have led the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (SEESCYT) to announce a cut in the number of new scholarships for next year. The 2008 budget was for RD$6.5 billion, which provided funding that enabled 1,590 students to travel abroad for graduate and undergraduate university studies. SEESCYT's 2009 budget will be reduced to RD$5.2 billion. Minister Ligia Amada Melo says that the reduction in the budget is due to the 15% increase in the salaries of public employees, which forced government to look for the money elsewhere, resulting in educational budget cuts.
The Minister added that the national scholarship program would be suspended for the first quarter of the year. She stressed that students who have already received scholarships would not be affected.
Melo says that of the RD$5.2 billion that the Ministry will receive RD$3 billion will be transferred to local higher learning centers (UASD, ITLA and the Loyola Polytechnic), leaving the remaining RD$1.5 billion for educational and administrative costs. She announced that scholarships would from now on only be awarded for graduate studies in order to benefit more students.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
The Minister added that the national scholarship program would be suspended for the first quarter of the year. She stressed that students who have already received scholarships would not be affected.
Melo says that of the RD$5.2 billion that the Ministry will receive RD$3 billion will be transferred to local higher learning centers (UASD, ITLA and the Loyola Polytechnic), leaving the remaining RD$1.5 billion for educational and administrative costs. She announced that scholarships would from now on only be awarded for graduate studies in order to benefit more students.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)