More than 10, 000 students throughout Papua New Guinea have been registered by the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry Office for the Marape/Steven governments newly introduced Higher Education Loan Program.
Registrations of students for NID cards and birth certificates have begun since December last year and are still continuing this year.
Towards the end of 2019, the Marape/ Steven government announced the Higher Education Loan Program or HELP for students who will be attending tertiary institutions.
Students would have to apply for this loan program to help their parents pay for school fees in 2020.
With the new system still under process, students also need to provide required documents such as NID, therefore the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry Office is giving priority to register all students throughout this year.
Deputy Registrar General of PNGCIR, Salome Bogosia said that they have liaised with provincial and district administrators to have students in remote areas registered as well.
Ms Bogosia said that they will be setting up offices at the three main universities, UPNG, University of Technology and Divine Word University for students to register themselves.
She also encouraged all other institutions throughout the country to communicate with the office in Port Moresby or through the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology for registrations.
Ms Bogosia has encouraged students who have not registered to get themselves registered to be eligible for the Higher Education Loan Program.
By Michelle Steven, EMTV News, Port Moresby
