Education
IPPIS: I now earn salary of graduate assistant, says Unilorin VC
Vice-chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof Sulyman Abdulkareem, says he is being paid the salary of a graduate assistant as against his statutory payment at the end of the month, attributing this to glitches in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System
The Unilorin VC estimated the deduction in his monthly salary to be more than 500 per cent decrease in the statutory emoluments of vice-chancellor in a dederal university.
He made the disclosure on Monday at a press briefing marking the beginning of the 36th convocation ceremony of the University in Ilorin.
Prof Abdulkareem also stated that he has no regrets making peace with the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) stating that not doing so previously, had caused the university untold damages.
The VC also used the occasion to tell the public of the many achievements of the school which is set to convoke a total of 10, 922 students at the convocation ceremonies.
The vice-chancellor though admitted that the IPPIS, as a payment system, is quite innovative and subscribes to all university workers migrating to the platform, however, observed that the platform has its challenges.
”A system created to solve one problem shouldn’t be seen to be creating other ones. You can’t imagine that I am being paid the salary of a graduate assistant rather than as the VC as it should be by the IPPIS system,” he said.
He however expressed the hope that the glitches would be sorted out soon.
Reacting to trending talks about the merit of Unilorin rejoining ASUU, Prof Abdulkareem said that he had no regrets whatsoever taking the university back into the fold of the academic union.
The university broke off as a member of ASUU at the height of an industrial crisis in 2001 but returned some three years back.
“Those who complain about Unilorin being back in the fold of ASUU do not even know what the university has lost or the damage such action has caused us.
“The university has paid a huge price for its staff not being part of the university unions. It took the effort of the unions to get us the earned allowance from the Federal government.
“Even when the money was released by the government it became an issue for the university to get it’s own N700 million for the staff because it was the unions that fought for the money and Unilorin, was not part of them.
The VC explained that it took the university being part of the union to unlock the money for the benefits of the varsity staffers.
He also explained that staff and even graduates of the university suffered untold victimisation wherever they went on account of not being part of ASUU.
“Our students were victimised both home and abroad, lecturers couldn’t get fellowships in other campuses. It wasn’t easy,” the VC said.
But giving an account of 2019/2020, the chief executive officer of Unilorin said that the institution achieved remarkable feats despite the ravages of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
For instance, the university got nominated for the Top 100 Achievements Award in the UK.
“In addition, the university emerged as one of the universities that produced the most employed graduates in Nigeria. What this says is that employers of labour should be fair to our graduates. They claim that our graduates are not well trained to take up jobs out there, that is not fair. Our students are well trained. All the employer needs to do is give them orientations and they will deliver,” he said.
Education
US University opens 2025 scholarships for international students
US University opens 2025 scholarships for international students
Montana Technological University (Montana Tech) has opened applications for its 2025 scholarships, offering international students the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in the USA.
These scholarships, available for both Master’s (MS) and PhD students, provide a tuition waiver and a competitive stipend for living expenses.
Scholarship overview and opportunities
Scholarship Region reports that Montana Technological University is offering funded Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) for Fall 2025. These assistantships are available for students applying to the MS and PhD programs, and they provide an opportunity to work alongside faculty on important research projects.
The university is focusing on key research areas such as advanced materials and manufacturing, critical mineral recovery and processing, environmental remediation, and biotechnology. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply soon to contribute to these cutting-edge fields.
Eligibility requirements
To apply for the Montana Tech University Scholarship 2025, candidates must meet several criteria.
- Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
- They must also meet the admission requirements for the program they wish to apply to and satisfy the English language proficiency requirements set by the university.
- Additionally, applicants must submit their applications for admission by January 1st to be considered for the scholarship.
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Benefits for scholarship winners
Students who are accepted into the MS or PhD programs at Montana Tech and are awarded a Graduate Research Assistantship will receive significant benefits. These include a
- Tuition waiver and a competitive stipend to cover living expenses.
- All applicants to available graduate programs will automatically be considered for the assistantships.
Required documents for application
Details inform that candidates applying for the Montana Technological University Scholarship must prepare several documents as part of the application process. Required documents include the;
- Application form,
- A personal statement,
- A CV, recommendation letters,
- TOEFL or IELTS scores, GRE scores, and official academic transcripts.
These documents as mentioned, are crucial for the admissions review and scholarship consideration.
Step-by-step application process
To apply for the scholarship, candidates are informed to first visit the graduate research fields page on Montana Tech’s Graduate School website. From there, they can apply for openings in the available research areas and complete the application form.
All required documents must be uploaded as part of the application. For more details and guidance, prospective students can contact the Montana Tech Graduate School at [email protected], where they will be connected with a faculty member leading a funded project.
US University opens 2025 scholarships for international students
Education
Canadian university offers funded national scholarship program for 2025
Canadian university offers funded national scholarship program for 2025
Western University has announced that applications are now open for the National Scholarship Program for the 2025-2026 academic year.
The opportunity offers funding to outstanding students with a proven track record of academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement.
According to Western University, the deadline for applications is February 14th, 2025.
Details of the program and eligibility
The National Scholarship Program is aimed at Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as international students meeting specific criteria. International students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for the International President’s Entrance Scholarship.
Details inform that applicants must have an overall academic average of 90% or higher from their Grade 12 courses (or equivalent) and must apply for full-time studies at Western University’s main campus. Students must also be nominated by their high school.
Scholarship opportunities and amounts
The program offers various scholarship opportunities based on academic achievement and extracurricular involvement.
- The Neen Hodgins National Entrance Scholarship awards $80,000 over four years, while,
- President’s Entrance Scholarships range from $50,000 to $70,000, depending on the amount of funding available.
- For black students, the James Jenkins President’s Entrance Scholarship offers $50,000, and the Beryl Ivey Continuing Entrance Scholarship provides $92,000 over four years.
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International students have access to scholarships such as the Neen Hodgins President’s International Entrance Scholarship, valued at up to $80,000. Other awards include the Faculty Entrance Scholarships, valued at $30,000, and the National Merit Awards, which provide $2,000 for students who are interviewed but not selected for a National Scholarship or a Schulich Leader Scholarship.
Application requirements
Applicants must submit a variety of materials, including a completed online application, a transcript from their school, and a reference letter from a teacher or staff member who is familiar with their academic and extracurricular achievements.
Additionally, applicants are required to write a 1,000-1,250 word essay on an issue of public concern. The essay, along with other supporting documents, must be submitted by the February 14th, 2025, deadline.
Nomination and assessor process
The institution informs that in order to be considered for the National Scholarship Program, students must be nominated by their school. The application includes a “Nomination Request Form,” which is sent to the school administrator once completed.
Students are told to ensure that they follow up with their school to confirm that their nomination and transcript are submitted on time. Additionally, students must request one reference letter from a teacher or staff member who can assess their academic performance and involvement in extracurricular activities.
How to apply
To apply, students need to access the National Scholarship application through the online portal, using their OUAC reference number and date of birth.
- Western University advises that there may be a delay between submitting the admission application and being able to access the scholarship application, with a minimum wait time of five business days.
- Once available, students can complete the application and submit all required documents before the assigned deadline.
For further details on how to apply, visit the Western University National Scholarship application portal.
Canadian university offers funded national scholarship program for 2025
Education
Student loan: More applicants hopeful as NELFUND credits accounts
Student loan: More applicants hopeful as NELFUND credits accounts
More students across several tertiary institutions in Nigeria are optimistic of benefiting from the next batch of disbursements of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Weekend Trust gathered.
The NELFUND, established by the Students Loan Act 2023 is managed and administered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the money deposit banks. It aims to facilitate the mobilisation of funds to provide interest-free loans to students of tertiary institutions.
Beneficiaries are expected to begin a repayment process of 10% of their salary to be deducted at source two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while self-employed beneficiaries are required to remit the same of their monthly profit.
The disbursement of funds is made directly to the institutions bank accounts while successful applicants are entitled to a monthly stipend of N20,000 for upkeep if they so wish.
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Weekend Trust reports that in August, the NELFUND had released data that showed significant regional disparities in the registration, application and disbursement of funds with the South-east recording the lowest figure.
Netizens on X had accused NELFUND of neglecting universities in the South-east but the Fund refuted the claim, saying the management of tertiary institutions in the South-east had failed to respond to verification requests forwarded to them.
North-west leads in disbursement, South-west in institutions
The latest data released by NELFUND on November 7, shows that the South-west has the highest number of beneficiary institutions with 27 currently getting disbursements. This is followed by the North-west which has 18 institutions while the North-east has 16 and the South-south has 15 institutions. The North-central and South-east have 11 institutions each.
On the number of students by zone, the North-west has the highest number of students with 43,378 followed by North-east with 28, 782 and the South-west with 12,539. The North-central has 11,555 beneficiaries while the South-south has 5,837 and South-east has 4,073.
The breakdown of the funding by zones, also shows that the highest of N4,424,024,250 billion was paid to the 18 institutions in the North-west, followed by the16 institutions in the North-east which got N2,544,223,937 billion, then the 27 institutions in the South-west received N1,842,876,713billion. The 11 institutions in the North-central got N1,099,808,700 billion, while the15 in the South-south got N597,250,030 million and the 11 institutions in the South-east received 539,610,320 million.
Student loan: More applicants hopeful as NELFUND credits accounts
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