MORE medical students who had secured admission to study at the School of Medicine in Samoa and Papua New Guinea have been left out of the 2025 Solomon Islands Government (SIG) scholarship awards administered by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD).
MEHRD has highlighted to the students that there are no scholarships on offer for students wanting to study medicine as of this year.
However, for 2025 government offers more than 20 scholarships for self-funded students who are studying medicine and surgery at the Fiji National University.
One of students told Solomon Star in an interview that he successfully secured a space at the Samoa School of Medicine in 2023 and had travelled to the school under a self-sponsorship arrangement after his application for an SIG scholarship was unsuccessful.
“I applied for a scholarship in 2022 for 2023 but my application turned out unsuccessful. So, I went to Samoa under a self-sponsorship arrangement.”
The student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said in 2023 he applied again, but his application turned unsuccessful.
He said in 2024, he made another application and it turned out unsuccessful again.
Whilst in Samoa in 2023, the student could not afford to complete his tuition fees and his living expenses due to his self-sponsorship status and had to return home.
He said he is determined to return to Samoa to resume his study, but his latest attempt to secure an SIG scholarship was again in vain.
The student said he does not want to waste another year doing nothing in the country, but return to Samoa to complete his course.
He said had the MEHRD given him a scholarship in 2023, he would have completed his study programme.
The student said despite his unsuccessful scholarship applications, he will reapply for an SIG 2026 scholarship award.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
