PNG Government Scholarships: What Does TESAS, AES, HECAS and HELP Mean?

Students TESAS (Tertiary Education Student Assistance Scheme) Award Status indicates the type of PNG govt scholarship offered to students. It is a merit-based award.

AES is awarded to the best-performing students (with a high GPA).

The number of scholarships available to continuing students (and new intakes) is determined by the availability of govt funding and HEIs GPA cut-off, yearly. Details of funding and GPA for each HEI in the country are the work of DHERST. Here are some guides to TESAS and GPA.

Read about the PNG Universities and Colleges 2023 Acceptance List Info, TESAS, HELP Loan and Registration and Orientation - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.

AES - Academic Excellence Scholarships
HECAS - Higher Education Contribution Assistance Scheme

DHERST TESAS Award list for New Intakes (SL & NSL) and Continuing students for 2023 was released today - download the PDFs here

TESAS AWARD HECAS AES PNG GOVT SCHOLARSHIP

TESAS: AES & HECAS Stats that matter

We kept some 'stats that matter' based on the TESAS Award list for New Intakes over the years. Here is the stat for the TESAS Awards for Continuing Students in 2021.

82 Continuing students on AES
6779 Continuing students on HECAS
6861 Total Students on TESAS

Note: The figures do not include the NEW INTAKES.

The DHERST Selection List for New Intakes was released a day after the Continuing Students TESAS Award List. Read about the NEW INTAKES 'stats that matter'.

Some HEIs have not submitted their continuing students' GPAs to DHERST. Those institutions are not included in the TESAS list released by DHERST.

Download the Continuing Students List for HEIs

Some HEIs have not submitted their Continuing Students GPA lists for the 2021 academic year. Students who are attending those institutions will expect delays at the Beginning of Year Travel and TESAS payments.

The students attending those institutions should call the Students' Admin for more information.

2023 self-sponsored students who have secured a scholarship must make travel arrangements with their universities or higher institutions.

Recommended reading: How to Secure a Govt Scholarship - TESAS

Re-admission and self-sponsored students

The advice from DHERST for students whose names are NOT on the list:

Be advised that students whose name do not appear on the list [ Continuing Students approved list] should consult your respective HEIs to confirm your progressive status for 2021. (DHERST, press release, 26/01/2021)

Why are only 6861 Continuing Students on TESAS?

Here is what DHERST said about it...

"The number of applications for TESAS Awards with a qualifying minimum GPA level is typically greater than the number of available TESAS Awards.
It should be noted that some program admission requirements of institutions might include a different weighted consideration of grades and/or prerequisite subjects with minimum grades, due to their particular academic requirements. As such, Awardees are selected within program quotas on a merit basis. This means that not all applicants with a qualifying GPA level will receive an award." (DHERST, website)

Another reason is that the 2021 TESAS award list does not include some HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) that did not submit the student GPAs to DHERST. And their students may not have been included in the official list released on the 26 of January 2021.

TESAS PNG Govt Scholarship Funds

In a National Newspaper report, the secretary for higher education said that they only received K36 million (out of the K68 million required TESAS funding) for 2021. The question was why half of the required TESAS fund?

In 2020, the PNG govt, through DHERST, implemented the students' assistantship scheme - the Higher Education Loan Program, or HELP. The same year, the govt allocated K220 million to fund HELP.

The higher education secretary said

... 6,637 students applied for HELP this year [2020] and K28,109,457 was paid by the Government.

How do students apply for HELP?

HELP aims to enhance the quality of higher education. The studentship program also aims to ensure access to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees is available to eligible students.

Firstly, students must demonstrate that they are enrolled in a registered institution to apply. This program is led by the DHERST with data and input from the HEIs in the country.

Students who wish to apply for this loan should complete the HELP Application Form. See your HEI/Student Admin for more info. That means all students (both continuing and new intakes) should register at a HELP-participating institution.

Then, see your students' admin/support staff and complete the application form. The respective HEIs will launch the forms, on your behalf, with DHERST and let you know of the outcome.