If you are a student in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and need financial assistance for your higher education, then the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) offered by the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) can be a good option for you.
The HELP program for 2023 application will be open from 20th March 2023 to 31st October 2023. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of applying for the HELP loan program.
Here is the latest article on the TESAS & HELP Student Loan Program
Eligibility Criteria for HELP
Before applying for the HELP program, you need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- You must be a PNG citizen.
- You must be enrolled and registered at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) recognized by DHERST.
- The study program undertaken by the applicant is accredited by the National Higher and Technical Education Board (NHTEB) or by another authorised body.
HELP Student Loan Application Timeline
The HELP program facilitates 4 batches every year. If you do not apply or do not submit your loan application in a batch, you have the flexibility to apply in the subsequent batch. The application timeline for HELP 2023 is as follows:
Batch Application Period
- 1 20th March - 30th April
- 2 1st May - 30th June
- 3 1st July - 31st August
- 4 1st September - 31st October
The last (4th) batch and the HELP application cycle for this year will be closed as of 31st October 2023.
DHERST will not accept any applications from students who applied and submitted the HELP after this date.
Requirements to Apply for HELP Loan
To apply for the HELP loan program, you need to fulfil the following requirements:
Signed HELP Declaration Form: Enquire about the HELP declaration form from your institution. Fill out the form and submit it to your Registrar and/or Student Data Officer with one of the mentioned ID documents.
ID Document: You need to submit any one of the following ID documents along with your HELP declaration form:
- Gr 12 certificate
- Student ID
- PNG NID/birth certificate
- Passport
- Driver's license
Apply for DHERST Student Loan
Your Student Data Officer (SDO) at your institution will issue HELP login credentials to you. If you have forgotten your password, you may check with your SDO to get a new one.
First-year students who had NOAS credentials from 2022 and had their enrollment status confirmed by SDO can use the same credentials to apply for HELP. The same applies to continuing students who previously applied for HELP, they can use the same credential to reapply for HELP this year.
The HELP 2023 timeline will be made available to the HEI through the Registrar's office during the registration period.
Contact DHERST
For further information, please contact the DHERST Support Service at noassupport@dherst.gov.pg.
Or visit HELP login page https://ipng.dherst.gov.pg/
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) by DHERST is a great initiative to provide financial assistance to students who want to pursue higher education in PNG.
If you meet the eligibility criteria and follow the application guidelines, you can apply for the HELP program and avail the benefits of the loan.
We hope this blog post has provided you with all the necessary information to apply for the HELP program in 2023.
Note: This information appears on DHERST website.
