Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disbursed the 2024 scholarship to 164 indigent students selected from branches of the union across the country.
LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that of the 79 ASUU branches, two successful applicants were selected through a rigorous screening process.
Also, applicants need to prove their indigent economic status and an excellent Cumulative Grade Average Point to qualify for the scholarship award.
Convener of ASUU Grant, Research and Publications Committee, Prof Christopher Piwuna, disclosed this on Saturday at the Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus, Bauchi.
He said each recipient of the scholarship went home with a non-refundable cash-support of N200,000.
The convener, who was represented by the former coordinator of ASUU, Bauchi Zone, Prof Lawan Abubakar, said gender balance was reflected in the selection of the beneficiaries adding that they also selected physically challenged beneficiaries to support them access tertiary education.
He said over the last two years, ASUU spent about N164.8 million on scholarship for indigent students in universities across the country.
“Our Union has been managing the Gani Fawehinmi scholarship for years. We decided to not only organise that of Chief Fawehinmi but institute our own. This creation was also shaped by the government’s unrelenting attacks on students and their parents through ‘school charges.’
“When we argued that NELFUND scholarship should be a grant, we meant it because we are not asking any parent or beneficiary of our indigent support to repay at a later day,” Prof Piwuna said.
Some of the beneficiaries interviewed expressed gratitude to ASUU for supporting their education, promising to make the best use of the money given to them.