Govt. sees positives in SEE fund

• Says not every selected student will get Ivy League acceptance but Govt. will fund those that do 

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The Government yesterday commended Budget proposals that aim to increase the number of scholarships to students, including the Scholarship for Educational Excellence - SEE Fund to allow top local students to attend globally-renowned universities.

The first batch for the SEE Fund will be chosen from the results of the 2019 ‘A’ Levels in August where 14 scholarships will be given this year to those who top their respective areas. Those selected will be required to return and serve at least 15 years in Sri Lanka. 

According Leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella, such scholarships will support the bright students to pursue their studies overseas and serve the country, similar to politician Lalith Athulathmudali.

“The education sector is given a new option where the best students can go to foreign universities, including Oxford, Harvard, MIT and Cambridge. The scholarships provided will enable the students to continue education without an issue. The late Lalith Athulathmudali, who was a student at Oxford, lost his father during the second year. He was unable to continue his studies. So Parliament passed a resolution to fund his studies. We know that just because we bring this proposal all students will not be admitted to foreign universities. But those who can meet the entry criteria will be given the scholarship,” said the Minister.

In this year’s budget, the Government has offered a student loan scheme – My Future, which enables our students to pursue Undergraduate Education at Non-State Universities. A student can draw up to Rs. 1.1 million at zero interest, with the repayment starting only after two years of graduation, to be repaid over a period of 12 years.

Touching upon the hardships the Unity Government is facing, Minister Kiriella held that paddy farmers are not forgotten in Budget 2019. “We have launched a program to establish paddy storage facilities well before the harvest. As for the fisheries industry, the fish exports to the European Union has increased by 14% with the GSP concessions our Government has brought in,” he said.

“Today, the Opposition is seeking to take back the Government. We need to think about why they went for an election two years before the election schedule. They had to go for an election unable to face the economic crisis. This is the bitter truth. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 three resolutions were passed at the UNHCR against Sri Lanka. If Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power, we would have had economic sanctions by 2015.”