DTEF Maedza Marcos told Mmegi yesterday that the additional names were submitted after September 12, when they had completed collecting students' names and paid all those on the recognised lists. He said that the department has issued stipends to all the 6,039 students that they had to sponsor this academic year when they received the additional 585 names from private tertiary institutions about two weeks ago.
The new list was not included in the negotiations that DTEF made with banks to give money to students, he added. "We have to be sure and satisfied with our investigations before we give them money. Institutions tell us it was human error that some students were not included in the first lists but we still have to look into the matter," he said. Marcos said they have undertaken a re-registration exercise to cross-check the exact number of students they have to sponsor. They also continue to receive feedback from banks on the numbers of students that have been given money. Yesterday some students from Limkokwing University visited the DTEF to demand answers as to why they have not been given living and book allowances since the academic year started in August.
