Fifty-eight students in vocational and tertiary training will receive scholarships worth more than $30,000 pa'anga for their tuition fees this year, from the Tonga Development Bank.

TDB CEO Leta Kami awarded $2,880 pa'anga worth of scholarships to six students at Tupou College's Technical and Vocational Education and Training class (TVET), on July 27.

Leta said the scholarship program is well received by the community, the vocational and tertiary schools since 2003 and has assisted more than 400 students with their studies with total funding provided by TDB is more than $300,000 pa'anga to date.

The scholarships are awarded on the basis of need and the potential to succeed, and principals select the scholars on the basis of ability and financial needs.

A system was developed with educational institutions whereby the bank monitored the progress of the sponsored students on a six-month basis and had also worked very well.

The 58 scholarships are awarded to students from 12 schools from Tupou College to Montfort Technical Institute; Tonga Institute of Science and Technology, Tupou Tertiary Institute, St Joseph’s Business College, ‘Ahopanilolo Technical Institute, Queen Salote College, Tonga Institute of Higher Education covering the School of Tourism and Hospitality and the School of Agriculture, Hango Agricultural College in ‘Eua and the Pouono Campus at Mailefihi/Siu’ilikutapu College in Vava’u.

Since 2003, TDB has continued this scholarship program to commemorate the bank’s 25 years of operation in Tonga, in 2002.