Foreign scholars under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship have expressed disappointment over the sudden deduction in their allowances by the Federal Scholarship Board.
The scholars, who are stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others, have not received their allowances for over 13 months, forcing them to source for their means of survival in foreign countries.
The Federal Ministry of Education attributed the development to economic crises, announcing a slash in allowances for foreign scholars in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board.
Affected scholars and parents lamented the government’s decision, citing the difficulties they face in surviving in foreign countries. Ronald Donald, one of the affected scholars, said, “Students have stayed 13 months without stipends, just promises upon promises. Now, the only thing the FSB could come up with is to reduce the stipends.”
Another student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that some students had taken loans to finance their studies, while others engaged in exploitative labor to survive.
A parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave a breakdown of the deduction, stating that each student now receives $3090 instead of $6450, a 56% decrease.
The Federal Scholarship Board’s decision has left the scholars and parents in a difficult situation, with many struggling to survive in foreign countries.
