2. What does “Such Equivalent Studies as determined by the Board” mean?
The Board being referred to is the Directors/Board members of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board.
Such Equivalent studies as determined by the Board refers to relevant qualifications other than Foundation Studies and Repeat of Year 13 completed locally and are deemed to be equivalent of Fiji’s Year 13 qualification. As an example, Fijians studying at an international school in Fiji and have completed a high school qualification which is qualified as equivalent to Year 13 of Fijian Qualification Framework.
3. Is a student who has completed Foundation Studies eligible to apply for NTS?
No. Any student completing Foundation Studies are no longer eligible to apply for NTS Local or Overseas scholarships. However, Foundation Studies students are eligible to apply for Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (“TELS”).
4. Do I qualify to apply for NTS if I have repeated Year 13?
No. Students who repeat Year 13 or the Equivalence of Year 13 are not eligible to apply for NTS. A student has to be ranked as a National Topper in the first attempt in Year 13 or Such Equivalent Studies as determined by the Board. However, these students are eligible to apply for Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (“TELS”).
5. How many NTS Local Scholarships are available for the Fijians?
For the year 2021 there are 600 Scholarships available for studies locally.
The exact number of awards and the distribution per priority area will be determined on an annual basis. This will be as announced in the national budget and advertised by TSLB annually in the local print media.
6. What are the specific criteria that I should meet to be eligible to apply for NTS local scholarship?
An applicant must satisfy all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for NTS:
- Must be a Fijian Citizen;
- Must be an ordinarily resident in Fiji for at least three years before the award commencement date;
- Must be either in Year 13 or Such Equivalent Studies as determined by the Board at the time of applying for NTS. That is in the year before the scholarship award year;
- Must be applying for one of the Fijian Government priority area as advertised annually by TSLB following the budget announcement.
- Must be ranked as a National Topper in the applied priority category and area applied for by meeting the annual cut off mark for each priority category;
- Must secure a place in a Higher Education Institution by means of an offer letter.
7. What are the Local Eligible Higher Education Institutions for NTS?
Currently the following local higher education institutions are eligible for NTS funding:
- Fiji National University
- The University of the South Pacific
- University of Fiji
- Fulton University College
- Corpus Christi Teachers College
- Sangam Institute of Nursing
8. What are the current priority areas of the Fijian Government for local studies?
The current priority areas of the Fijian Government are divided into 10 categories. Click here to find out more on the priority categories and area of studies
9. Can I apply for NTS for an area of studies not listed in the national priority area of the Fijian Government?
No. You cannot apply for NTS to pursue any qualifications outside the national priority areas list as published by TSLB.
For programs not listed in the national priority list, you can apply for TELS.
10. I am trying to apply for a program of study for NTS on TSLB online application, but the program is not in the drop down menu. Why can’t I find my preferred program in the drop down menu?
In case you cannot find any program of your preference in the drop down menu on TSLB Online application portal, it means that the program is not part of the priority areas of the Fijian Government and as such does not qualify for NTS application.
You can either select another program which is in the drop down menu or apply for TELS (which has its own set of programs to choose from).
11. What are the eligibility criteria for NTS Overseas Scholarships? (Suspended from 2021 till further notice!!!)
The current eligibility criteria for NTS Overseas Scholarships are that the applicant:
- Must be a Fijian Citizen;
- Must be an ordinarily resident in Fiji for at least three years before the award commencement date;
- Must be either in Year 13 or Such Equivalent Studies as determined by the Board at the time of applying for NTS. That is in the year before the scholarship award year; and
- Must be applying for a priority area published annually that is not offered or the equivalence of the program is offered by any higher education institutions in Fiji; and
- Must have a valid offer letter from an overseas higher education institution for a priority area program not offered locally.
12. Which overseas countries are the NTS Overseas Scholarships tenable at? (Suspended from 2021 till further notice!!!)
Currently there are no restrictions on the countries in which students can pursue their qualifications under the award.
However, the students must select countries and higher education institutions which are the most cost effective and are offering internationally ranked programs which are recognized and accredited with the Fijian regulatory and/or professional bodies.
In case where a student has applied for studies in a country where the costs are higher than some other cheaper destinations offering good quality qualifications, TSLB reserves the right to either ask the applicant to change the preferred country or decline the application.
13. Can I do double degree under NTS?
No. Double degree is not funded. Double degree means doing two degree programs simultaneously. An example of this is Bachelor of Accounting and Bachelor of Actuarial Finance.
However, you can do a program with double majors, a major and a minor, a single major program or what is commonly known as prescribed programs
14. What is the minimum cut off mark to qualify for NTS?
The minimum cut off mark for each category will vary and have a Minimum Entry Requirement and a particular subject combination depending on the program being selected. For all of the programs, English is a compulsory entry requirement, with Mathematics being mandatory for fields such as Engineering and Commerce. For full details on minimum cut off marks and entry requirements please Click Here to find out more.
15. What criteria is applied/used by TSLB to assess my eligibility for NTS Local Scholarship?
The following steps and criteria is used for all NTS application ranking and selection for awards:
- Provisional Year 13 Results from Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts will be obtained by TSLB after the release of the results.
- Results for all other examinations deemed equivalent of Year 13 as determined by the Board will also be obtained from the applicants;
- All results will be converted to a common denomination (percentage of the total aggregate score) for ease of comparison.
- Aggregate scores for each student will be calculated based on the Minimum Entry Requirement.
- After converting all results to a common unit of measurement, the applicants would be ranked in a descending order (highest to lowest) for each category and sub-category of awards. This will form part of the national ranking of all applicants based on academic merit.
- Only complete applications will be ranked. All incomplete applications will miss out on the ranking.
- After the national ranking, ranking of applicants for each priority category and sub-category will be done in a descending order. For example, if Category Infrastructure has 90 awards, the top 90 applicants for this category will be identified and ranked in the descending order. In a similar way, ranking for each category will be completed.
- Preference by TSLB for ranking by category will be given to the first indicated choice of the applicants in the application form.
- Only if the quota for a category or sub-category is not filled based on the first indicated choice of the applicants, second choice would be considered. Third choice will only be considered if the quota for a category or sub-category is not filled after all first and second choices have been considered and exhausted in the ranking process;
- After the ranking for the shortlisted applicants for each category is completed, all other applications for the scheme for an academic calendar would be moved to TELS and processed as per the eligibility criteria.
- Shortlisted and ranked students may be required to attend an interview if deemed necessary before the final decision is made.
- In case interviews are conducted by TSLB, the final ranking and decision will be based on the total weighted scores of the applicants for each category.
- All shortlisted applicants for each category would be ranked in the descending order and the top ranked students would be made an offer until the predetermined quota is filled.
- All decisions of TSLB in relation to the awarding of scholarships shall be final and shall not be subject to an appeal as stipulated under Section 13(2) of the Act.
- All successful applicants must complete, sign and upload the provisional offer scholarship letter and bond agreement within 7 days from the date stated on the offer letter. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the offer by TSLB.
- Scholarships will only be confirmed after TSLB has issued the scholarship confirmation letter after assessing the completed offer letter and bond agreement.
- In case where two of more applicants are tied for a scholarship for any category and there is only one scholarship available to be awarded, the date of application will be considered. The applicant submitting the application earlier will be considered over the remaining applicants with the same ranking.
16. Why is that some of my friends have got NTS with lower Year 13 total score than me, but I have not been offered NTS?
As stated in Q&A No: 15, different categories have different cut off mark for NTS awards annually. There are 10 categories for NTS awards. These are Medicine and Health, Engineering, Technology, Agriculture, Fisheries & Forests, Social Sciences, Environment/ Marine Science, Land/Town Planning, Commerce, Education and Special Areas –Diploma and Certificates.
Also as explained in Q&Q No: 15, each category has a quota and students are ranked from highest to lowest in each category and offers are made unless the quota is reached.
As an example, due to different Minimum Entry Requirements, a student with 335 opting to apply for Engineering, may miss out on the scholarship if he/she has not done English, Mathemathics and Physics. On the same note, a student with 301, applying for Agriculture, may still get the scholarship, as the category only requires English and Agriculture and not Mathematics.
Therefore, it is important to note that different categories have different qualifying entries, and despite excellent marks, if entry requirements are not met, a scholarship is not guaranteed.
17. After the offer for NTS has been made by TSLB, can I change my program to another priory area.
No. You cannot request for change in program/major or minor for a category which is outside the category for which TSLB has made an offer to you for. For example, if you have been given an offer for the “Commerce” category, you cannot request for a change in program/major/minor which belongs in another category, such as Tourism, Education or Technology.
However, you can request for changes within the same category. For example, Change from Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting/Economics) to Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting/Finance).
No changes for NTS Overseas Scholarship will be approved. (NTS Overseas is currently suspended until further notice!!)
If you were selected based on an oral interview or an aptitude test for a certain category of award, then no change of program will be allowed as you have been selected based on your merit (inclusive of academic and oral interview/ aptitude test) for a certain category.
18. Can I request for change in program/major/minor/institution after I have commenced studies under NTS Local Scholarship?
Yes. You can apply for change in either the Program/Major/Minor or Institution under NTS Local Scholarship only once after the award confirmation letter has been issued using Form TSLB 04-02 provided you satisfy the following conditions:
i. Non-Medical Students and Medical Students not on annualized program
- These are students who are enrolled who have awarded NTS awards in categories other than “Medical and Health” or for programs within the “Medical and Health” which are assessed and graded on a term by term basis.
- Students falling in this category are eligible to apply for change in either the major/minor/program and institution provided the request is made in writing to TSLB before the second year of the award. That is, you can request for the change either after one term of studies or two terms of studies under the award.
- No request for change will be considered after more than 2 terms of studies under NTS.
- Any change in either the program/major/minor/institution must be in the same NTS priority category as the initial award.
ii. Medical Students on Annualized assessed programs?
- These are students who have been given scholarship in the “Medical and Health” category and the courses that they are enrolled in are not graded at the end of each academic term but at the end of the annual academic year. E.g. MBBS program.
- Students falling in this category are eligible to apply for change in either the major/minor/program and institution provided the request is made in writing to TSLB before they commence the third year of the award. That is, you can request for the change either after year 1 or year 2 studies under the award.
- No request for change will be considered after more than 2 years of studies under NTS.
- Any change in either the program/major/minor/institution must be in the same NTS priority category as the initial award
If you were selected based on an oral interview or an aptitude test for a certain category of award, then no change of program will be allowed as you have been selected based on your merit (inclusive of academic and oral interview/ aptitude test) for a certain category.
19. How many times can I apply for either a change in either the program/major/minor or institution during my award donation.
Strictly once only. Any application in excess of one prior approved application will be declined by TSLB.
20. What does either a change in program/major/minor /institution only once during the period of sponsorship mean?
This means that after the award confirmation letter has been issued, you can apply for either the program/major/minor/institution only once during the entire award duration. In cases where you have been approved for a change in either the program, /major/minor or institution, you can no longer apply for any further changes.
As an example, if you applied for and got the major approved once, you cannot further apply for any more changes to either the program/major/minor or institution.
21. How can I apply for either a change in program/major/minor or institution once during the award duration?
Any application for change in either the program/major/minor or institution must be applied for using Form TSLB 04-02. The following mandatory documents must be submitted with the duly completed application form (TSLB 04-02):
- Full academic transcript of current program.
- Offer letter for new program/major/minor or institution.
- Cross Credit document for new program/major/minor or institution.
- Program structure for the new program/major(s)/minor or institution.
- Request letter stating the reasons for the change requested.
- Approval from HEI on requested changes.
22. What are the award privileges for NTS Local Scholarship?
All NTS Local Scholarship awardees are eligible for the following maximum award privileges:
- Tuition fees for all first attempt courses/units which are part of the TSLB sponsored program (TSLB will not pay tuition for any repeat courses, bridging courses, professional accreditation courses, or courses which are not necessary to complete the program and graduate).
- General service/enrollment fees as billed by the Higher Education Institutions;
- Accommodation and Meals (Hostel or Rent) - Maximum of $2,400 per Semester or $2,000 per Trimester. Should the hostel and meals fees charged by the Higher Education Institute exceed the approved rates as per the award confirmation letter, you will be required to pay for any difference privately.
- Book Allowance − FJD $1,000 per annum.
- Incidental Expenses - FJD $1,000 per annum.
The above are the maximum rates of allowances and actual payment per academic term will be subject to the Load Factor. Refer to Q&A No: 25 and 26 for details on this.
23. What are the award privileges for NTS Overseas Scholarship? (Suspended from 2021 till further notice!!!)
The award privileges for NTS Overseas Scholarship awardees are:
- Tuition fees for all first attempt courses/units which are part of the TSLB sponsored program (TSLB will not pay tuition for any repeat courses, bridging courses, professional accreditation courses, or courses which are not necessary to complete the program and graduate.
- General service/enrollment fees as billed by the Higher Education Institutions.
- Hostel and meals (If staying in hostel) will be paid directly to the Higher Education Institution as invoiced.
- Living out Allowance (If staying out of hostel will be paid in the nominated Bank Account.
- Meal Allowance if living staying in hostel without meal option will be paid in the nominated Bank Account as determined by TSLB.
- Book Allowance will be paid in the nominated Bank Account as determined by TSLB
- Establishment Allowance will be paid in the nominated Bank Account as determined by TSLB. This will be a one-off payment and paid at the commencement of the award.
- Excess Baggage Allowance will be paid in the nominated Bank Account as determined by TSLB. This will be a one-off payment and paid at the end of the award.
- 1 by return air fare-economy class.
24. When will the allowances for each new academic term be paid?
All allowance payment is subject to the receipt of student’s enrollment report from their respective higher education institutions.
An enrollment report contains record of student’s enrollment/registration of courses/units for a particular academic term. It contains the course/unit codes that students are enrolled in and classifies the same as first attempt, second attempt, subsequent attempt and courses/units which are not part of the TSLB sponsored program.
Allowances will only be calculated and paid upon receipt of your enrollment reports. You can visit our website www.tslb.com.fj and check under “Student Notices” for your enrollment reports as submitted by the higher education institutions. In case your name does not appear in the list and if you have already enrolled for the courses/units, you need to check with your institutions student services/academic office.
TSLB will pay the allowances progressively in two or more batches as enrollment reports are received. The first batch of allowances will be paid by the 4th week of lectures.
It is in your interest to enroll for the courses/units at least one week before the commencement of lecture to get your allowances by week 1 of lectures. For all enrollments after Thursday a week before the lecture commences, allowances will be paid in week 4 of lectures.
25. How is the allowance calculated and paid?
Allowances for each academic term will be calculated based on the academic load. An academic load is defined as the number of allowance eligible courses a student is enrolled for in a term divided by the total number of courses the student is required to enroll in as a full-time student.
The following are not included as eligible course(s) for the purpose of calculating the allowance payable eligible course(s):
- Repeat courses;
- Foundation/bridging courses which are not part of the student’s TSLB approved program; and
- Any courses which are not part of the TSLB approved program e.g. Free Courses offered by HEI’s (e.g UU100 A at USP), Professional Accreditation courses e.g FIA Courses).
A study load of less than 50% of the full load in an academic term is deemed to be a part-time load and may lead to the termination of the award and or payment of the allowances on a pro-rata basis. Students who fail to register for full academic load will be paid allowances on a pro-rata basis.
TSLB reserves the right to pay your allowance in one or more batches. For example, 50% before the mid-term break and 50% after the break.
For speedy payment of allowances, TSLB is encouraging students to register for M-Paisa and submit the M-Paisa number to TSLB.
The following formula is currently to calculate the allowances for NTS students.
ALLOWANCE CALCULATION FOR NTS STUDENTS
Component |
Semester Based |
Trimester Based |
Book(Max) (A) |
500 |
333.33 |
Incidental(Max) (B) |
500 |
333.33 |
Accommodation and Meals(Max) (C) |
2400 |
2000 |
Maximum Eligibility (D=A+B+C) |
3400 |
2667 |
No: of Eligible Courses(E) |
XXX |
XXX |
Term Full Load **(F) |
YYY |
YYY |
Load Factor (G=E/F) |
XXX /YYY |
XXX /YYY |
Total Payable |
D multiplied by G |
D multiplied by G |
26. What are the maximum allowances payable to me at various load factors for NTS Local Scholarship?
The Load Factor (“LF”) is calculated as the No. Of TSLB Eligible courses a student is enrolled in divided by the full academic load for a particular term as per the institutions academic program and regulations. Generally, for local studies, the maximum eligible courses for a term is 4. However, this varies amongst institutions and programs.
Load factors would generally be either 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 for programs where students are allowed to enroll for a maximum of 4 courses per term. For programs where students are only allowed to enroll for a maximum of 3 courses per term, the load factor would be 0.33, 0.67 and 1.0.
In instances where students are enrolled for more than the required number of courses (for example, students enrolling for 5 courses, when the allowable load is 4, the extra course enrolled in will not be counted for the purpose of the calculating the Load Factor.
At no point in time, the Load Factor can be Greater than 1.
For a Semester based student where maximum of 4 courses is allowed per term, the maximum NTS allowances payable based on the various load factor will be as follows:
Component |
MAXIMUM PAYABLE SEMSTER BASED STUDENTS |
Load Factor 0.25 |
Load Factor 0.5 |
Load Factor 0.75 |
Load Factor 1.0 |
Book(Max) (A) |
500 |
500 |
500 |
500 |
Incidental(Max) (B) |
500 |
500 |
500 |
500 |
Accommodation and Meals(Max) (C) |
2400 |
2400 |
2400 |
2400 |
Maximum Eligibility (D=A+B+C) |
3400 |
3400 |
3400 |
3400 |
No: of Eligible Courses(E) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Term Full Load **(F) |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Load Factor (G=E/F) |
0.25 |
0.5 |
0.75 |
1 |
Total Payable |
850 |
1700 |
2550 |
3400 |
In cases where the students are allowed to enroll for a maximum of three courses only, the following maximum allowances will be payable at various Load Factor.
Component |
MAXIMUM PAYABLE SEMSTER BASED STUDENTS |
Load Factor 0.33 |
Load Factor 0.67 |
Load Factor 1.0 |
Book(Max) (A) |
500 |
500 |
500 |
Incidental(Max) (B) |
500 |
500 |
500 |
Accommodation and Meals(Max) (C) |
2400 |
2400 |
2400 |
Maximum Eligibility (D=A+B+C) |
3400 |
3400 |
3400 |
No: of Eligible Courses(E) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Term Full Load **(F) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Load Factor (G=E/F) |
0.33 |
0.67 |
1 |
Total Payable |
1133 |
2267 |
3400 |
NTS Overseas student’s allowances will be calculated using the same basis.
27. Can I apply for Extension of the Award?
Yes. You can apply for an extension of the award should you fail to complete the program within the duration stipulated in your award confirmation letter. However, there will only be a maximum of 1 extension granted in any case after assessment, provided the following conditions have been met:
a. Should be a graduating term (meaning the student will finish their last few units in that term and graduate)
b. Must present a satisfactory GPA of 3.5/4.5 or 3.9/5.0 or above.
Whether any extension is granted or not will be at the sole discretion of TSLB.
Any application for extension should be made using Form TSLB 04-01. Duly completed Form TSLB 04-01, with the following mandatory documents must be hand delivered to the TSLB office nearest to you. Emailed and faxed copies of the application will not be processed by TSLB (the only exemption to this rule is for NTS Overseas Students who will need to scan and email a copy):
- Full Academic Transcript;
- Program Audit Certificate;
- Program Outline for the remaining courses/units (Year and Term in which these will be offered, and how you plan to complete); and
- Letter explaining the reason(s) for not completing the program within the sponsored duration, along with any evidences such as medical certificates/letter from university.
Request for extension may be granted on the following grounds:
- Change in either the program/major/minor or institution granted by TSLB;
- Medical grounds backed up with medical reports acceptable to TSLB;
- Delays caused by natural disasters or any other pandemic;
- Bereavement for an immediate family member; and
- Deployment for national duties
Any request for extension where student negligence resulting in the program not being completed is established, will not be approved.
For NTS Overseas Scholarship recipients no extension will be granted.
28. What is the maximum extension period that I may be granted?
Any Extension granted by TSLB will be for one academic term only (Immediate term after the approval date).
During the period of extension, you will be placed on a probationary period. Should you fail any courses/units during the period of extension, your award will be terminated and recovery action will commence.
TSLB reserves the right to request students to complete the period under extension on TELS.
There will be no automatic extension by TSLB at the end of the initial award duration. You must re-apply for extension at the end of the initial award duration before the due date published by TSLB for each academic term and year. |
29. Will I be paid allowances for any period of extension?
Whether or not any allowances will be approved during any period of extension will depend on the balance of any eligible allowances after the completion of the initial award duration.
As an example, for all NTS students on semester basis, the maximum payable allowance per term is $3400.00. In case a student is enrolled for a three-year program and the NTS confirmation letter states that the award is for 3 years, this means that the student is entitled to a maximum allowance of $20,400 ($3400/semester * 6 semesters) in three years.
So if the student has already been paid $20,400 in 3 years, then he/she may not be entitled to any further allowances but Tuition only. However, let’s say that in 3 years, the student was only paid $19,000 by TSLB, then allowance of $1,400.00 may be paid during the period of extension.
However, no new allowances will be approved during any period of extension.
30. Can my NTS award be suspended or terminated.
All NTS Scholarship will be reviewed on a term to term basis and the award will be immediately suspended or terminated if a student:
- Fails to meet the required GPA, which is 3.0/4.5 or 3.3/5.0 above for the first academic term and 3.5/4.5 or 3.9/5.0 or above for all subsequent academic terms;
- fails to maintain and take full academic load as per the enrollment/registration criteria of the Higher Education Institute of your choice for each academic term within the duration of the program,
- Fails to meet the minimum attendance required by the Higher Education Institutions for the sponsored program;
- Is academically suspended/terminated by the Higher Education Institute;
- Abandons his/her studies;
- Is deregistered for any reason including disciplinary action instituted by the Higher Education Institute;
- Changes his/her programme/majors/minor/institution without the prior written approval of TSLB;
- Is convicted for any offence during the duration of the award;
- Provides false and misleading information to TSLB with the objective of gaining financial advantages;
- Fails to follow TSLB’s grievance resolution mechanism in airing any concerns/complaints or grievances;
- Engages in any conduct during the period of sponsorship that brings disrepute to TSLB or the Fijian Government; and
- Is required to repeat consecutively a term/years’ work in order to complete your programme.
31. Can I repeat any courses under NTS?
No. Strictly no repeat courses will be funded under NTS.
However, TSLB may fund for only one repeat unit/course per annum under the Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (“TELS”) if the awardee makes an application using the prescribed Form for courses/units failed after 1 August 2017. However, no more than one (1) repeat unit/course per annum will be funded under TELS.
In deciding on which repeat unit to fund under TELS in case of multiple repeat courses of a student, TSLB will consider the cost of the repeat courses. Preference will be given to the lowest cost unit.
The same needs to be applied for through NTS to TELS switch form (TSLB 04-03)
For NTS Overseas Scholarship, TSLB will not pay for any repeat courses either under NTS, TELS or any other Fijian Government Schemes.
32. How will my academic progress be monitored and evaluated by TSLB?
Your academic progress will be monitored and assessed by TSLB during each academic term and also at the end of each academic term.
TSLB will directly obtain the details in relation to your attendance to lectures and tutorials, submission of assignments, quizzes etc., discipline and also all examinations from your course coordinators and the academic office.
After receipt of the required information from the institutions, the results, attendance and disciple matters etc. will be independently assessed by TSLB staff and those students identified and classified as “At Risk” will be subject to the procedures as per Q&A N0: 33.
33. What happens if I fail to meet the academic requirements as per the terms and conditions of my award?
If your academic performance falls below the required average, the procedure detailed below will be followed:
- If you applied for and were granted special consideration (or if other extenuating circumstances apply), and this was approved by TSLB, no action will be taken and you will receive your NTS payment as per usual or;
- You will be notified in writing by TSLB that your performance is under review and that you are on probation. You will be paid whilst you are on probation or;
- Should you meet the required minimum pass rate in the term you are on probation, the probation status will be removed in the following term and you will be paid.
- Should you fail to meet the required minimum pass rate in the term on probation, the scheme will be suspended for the following term. You will not receive payments while on suspension.
- Should you meet the required minimum pass rate in the term on suspension, the scheme will be reinstated for the following term and payments will resume? No retrospective payments will be made for the period of suspension.
- Should you fail to meet the required minimum pass rate in the term on suspension, the scheme will be terminated and no further payments may be made.
A maximum of one probation and one suspension will be considered during the scheme duration as stated in the offer letter.
In case your NTS gets suspended due to poor academic performance you are eligible for reinstatement in case you undertake courses privately and meet the academic requirements for reinstatement within a period of one year since the suspension.
34. Can I travel overseas during my studies and bond service period?
Yes. However, you need to first apply to Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (“FRCS”) for temporary overseas travel release before finalizing your travel.
You must obtain written clearance from FRCS by meeting all requirements should you wish to travel abroad during the study or bond period by giving at least 7 days’ advance notice to FRCS.
In case you fail to apply for the travel release, you may be prevented from departing Fiji and neither TSLB nor FRCS will be responsible for any losses suffered.
In case you have fully served the bond period or paid off in lieu of the bond service period, you need to obtain the final clearance letter from FRCS and check that your name has been permanently removed from the Immigration Controversial List.
35. What are the requirements that I must satisfy and meet before granted any release to travel overseas?
The following requirements needs to be submitted or sorted out by directly contacting FRCS.
- Duly completed form IRS458 available on www.tslb.com.fj or www.frcs.org.fj.
- Request letter addressed to CEO of FRCS.
- Letter from TSLB to confirm outstanding loan or bond service amount.
- Guarantee of Bond (Overseas Travel) Form – TSLB 11.
- Guarantor’s TIN letters or photocopy of FRCS/FNPF Joint Card.
- Guarantor’s recent pay slip or Bank Statements
- For students in employment, a letter from the employer must be submitted.
- Copy of the return air ticket with the travel itinerary.
- Copy of the Passport.
- Visa details.
- The student may be required to pay a certain percentage of the dues to the Fijian government.
- FRCS reserves the right to impose any other conditions.
You need to visit FRCS website
https://www.frcs.org.fj for exact requirements and any changes that may be announced
.
36. Can my NTS award be terminated? If so how and what happens after my NTS award is terminated?
The NTS award can be terminated either by you or TSLB. You may terminate your NTS by filling and submitting Form TSLB 04. You can terminate the scholarship with or without providing any reason(s) to TSLB. However, providing the reason will allow TSLB to discuss options that you may have in case you are terminating the same due to reasons that may be affecting your academic performance.
TSLB may terminate your NTS award on the same grounds as those listed in Q&A No. 30.
Should the award be terminated by TSLB, or you wish to terminate the award, you will be required to repay the total monetary value the Fijian Government has expended upon your studies from the commencement date till date of termination of your award with the applicable penalty rate at the time of termination in one single payment or under any other arrangement with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (“FRCS”). FRCS’s discretion is unfettered.
The current penalty rate for NTS termination is 10% of the total cost incurred by TSLB till the point of termination on your studies.
37. Can I apply for TELS or any other Fijian Government or Donor Funded Scholarships administered by TSLB if my NTS has been terminated or if I have not completed my bond service period?
No. You can only apply for TELS or any other Fijian Government or Donor Funded Scholarships administered by TSLB where your NTS has been terminated unless you have fully paid off the total amount due on termination with the appropriate rate of penalty.
To be eligible to apply you need to pay off your existing debt to FRCS and submit your FRCS bond clearance letter to TSLB with your application.
38. Can I Upgrade my program under NTS?
No. NTS only supports one qualification and that is the qualification that for which TSLB has issued you with the confirmation letter or any subsequent change in program approved by TSLB in writing upon receipt of application from you.
39. Am I bonded as a NTS student?
All NTS awardees are bonded for a period equal to 1.5 times the period of their study. For example, if the program of study is funded by TSLB for 3 years, the bond period will be 4.5 years
40. What does the bond mean?
After graduation, and getting into employment, you will have to serve the country (Fiji) for a period equivalent to your bond period.It is the responsibility of the student to notify FRCS of their employment status post-graduation for the activation of the bond.
Remember your bond service is counted from the first day of your employment post-graduation/completion of your studies.
41. What happens if I want to terminate my bond after working for some period in Fiji?
You can terminate for bond after working for some period in Fiji.
Upon termination, you will be required to repay the Fijian Government through FRCS based on the pro-rata basis of your total bond period. The total amount that you need to repay will be for the unserved period of the total bond.
The example below, demonstrates how much you have to repay.
Scholarship Particulars |
Your Particulars |
Program |
Bachelor of Commerce |
Years of Sponsorship by TSLB by NTS |
3 years |
Total Bond Period |
3*1.5=4.5 years |
Total Value of the Scholarship (including all allowances paid) |
$38,000 |
Total Number of Years required to work in Fiji |
4.5 Years |
Number of Years worked before deciding to terminate your Bon |
2 Years |
Number of Years remaining to be served |
2.5 Years |
Dollar Value of the Amount Yet to be served |
= (2.5/4.5) *38,000
= $21111.1 |
Add 10% Termination Penalty |
=10% of $38,000
=$3,800 |
Total Payable |
=$21,111.11+ $3,800
=$24911.1 |
42. Do I require guarantors for signing the bond for NTS Local award?
No
43. Do I require guarantors for signing the bond for NTS Overseas award?
Yes. The bond form must be completed and guaranteed by two working persons residing in Fiji with a minimum income of FJD15,000 per annum or as determined by FRCS and who should be in a position to repay the sum owed should you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of the award.
The guarantors must provide the following to TSLB as part of the signed Schedule 2 of the bond form: TIN letter, Recent Salary Slip, Recent FNPF Statement, and Birth Certificate.
It is important that the guarantors fully understand their responsibilities and obligations towards the agreement before they sign the bond form.
44. What happens if I submit any false information to TSLB or FRCS?
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that any information submitted to TSLB/FRCS at any stage during the application, application processing, course of studies and post-graduation to provide true and complete information.
The False Information Act 2016 ('Act') establishes liability for the provision of false Information to any officer, agent or representative of the Government or an entity. Section 2 provides the definition of 'entity' as an organization that receives funding from the Government and which the Attorney-General prescribes by notice in the Gazette.
Section 2 also provides the definition of 'false information' as meaning information which is false, Incorrect, untrue or misleading in whole or part, substance or form.
Section 4(1) of the Act provides that a person must not knowingly make a false representation to any officer, agent or representative of the Government or entity for the purpose of obtaining a benefit. Section 4(2) further provides that any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $20000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or to both.
Section 7 of the Act further provides the meaning of 'knowingly' as if the person is aware that the information the person is providing false information, is aware that the information the person is providing is likely to be false information and is reckless in that regard or provides any information and is reckless as to whether that information is false information.
Section 8 of the Act provides that Part 7 of the Crimes Act 2009 apply to offences under this Act and section 9 of the Act provides that absolute liability applies to the offences under this Act in accordance with section 25 of the Crimes Act 2009.
Section 10 of the Act provides for the recovery of the benefit from a person convicted of an offence under the Act and section 11 provides for the recovery of the benefit from a third party.
TSLB /FRCS reserve the right to terminate the award and execute the recovery action should it be established that the student furnished false information at any stage of schemes application and benefit.
45. When does the application for NTS open? When does it close?
Application opening and closing date will be published in the local media, TSLB website and official social media after the budget announcement each year. This will normally be in July of each year.
Application closing date will strictly be 31 December of each year. TSLB will not receive or consider any late application for NTS in any circumstances.
46. How do I apply for NTS?
You need to apply using the TSLB Online application portal available on
www.tslb.com.fj using the following steps:
- Scan and get all the required documents ready before starting the process of applying online in the pdf, png, or jpg format.
- Visit www.tslb.com.fj and register for TSLB online application. Applicants cannot apply online unless registered first.
- Once registered fill the appropriate information.
- Upload all the required documents.
- Submit the online application.
- You do not need to fill another TELS application form separately as all unsuccessful applications for NTS will be considered for TELS if they successfully passed Y13 or equivalent foundation studies. You need to indicate your TELS Choices and allowance preference in the required section of the NTS application.
47. Can I apply without my Year 13 results and Offer letter from the institutions as Year 13 results are only released in December while Offer letters may be received after the closing date of 31st December each year?
Yes: You can and must to apply before 31st December each year even if you do not have Year 13 results or the offer letter from the institution or both. TSLB online application system is designed in such a way that you can apply with these essential documents and upload the same even after the closing date.
So you need to ensure that you have applied and completed all aspects of the application, except Year 13 results and offer letters before the application closing date.
Your application will only be processed after you have uploaded the Year 13 results and offer letter from the institutions. However, you will not miss out on the award if you have met the qualifying criteria and uploaded these 2 essential documents before the last day of application processing.
You need to log into TSLB website www.tslb.com.fj for the NTS application processing opening and closing date for each year.
48. Can I attach my provisional offer letter from the institution for my TSLB application?
No: You must never attach your provisional offer letter with your TSLB application. In case you do this, your offer letter will be removed, your application moved to incomplete state or even totally rejected by TSLB.
49. How would I be notified the outcome of my NTS application?
You will be notified on the outcome of your application after your application is processed. That is between the application processing opening and closing dates. The notification will be sent to the email addressed that you used to register and apply for the scholarship.
You must also login into your TSLB account on TSLB website www.tslb.com.fj and check on your application status on your home/landing page. In case your application was successful, your application status will change from “Processing” to “Approved” and you will be given the option to download your “NTS Offer Letter” and “Bond Form”.
In case you were not successful with the application, your application status will change Processing” to “Rejected” and you will notice that a “TELS” application will be created for you on your home/landing page.
50. What happens if my application for NTS has not been successful?
In case your application for NTS was not successful, your application will automatically be pushed to TELS and assessed and processed for TELS.
What you need to do after your NTS application has been declined by TSLB is to visit your landing and check that your TELS application status is reading as “Processing”. In case it is showing as “Incomplete”, you need to complete the missing details and documents so that your application can be processed by TSLB staff.
51. How do I fill the bond form and offer letter if I have received the provisional offer letter?
After your application is processed and if you are successful with the NTS application, a copy of the personalized NTS Provisional Offer Letter and Bond Form will be available on your TSLB Home/Landing page.
You need to download and fill the documents as follows:
- Offer letter- read and initial all pages on the bottom right hand corner. Then enter your details and sign off on the last page of the letter and get the same witnessed and Scan and save the whole document (all pages).
- Bond Form – fill and sign only pages and 1 and 3 only if you are a NTS Local Scholarship recipient. Do not fill anything on Schedules 1 and 2 of you are a NTS Local Scholarship recipient.
If you are NTS Overseas Scholarship recipient, then you need to fill pages 1 and 3 as well as Schedule 2 of the Bond Form. Do not fill anything in Schedule 1, Schedule 3 needs to be filled and submitted to FRCS at least 7 days before you depart Fiji.
After filling and signing the bond form, scan and save the entire (all pages) of the bond form.
52. How much time do I have to complete the bond form and offer letter and submit the same to TSLB?
You must sign and scan every pages of the bond form and offer letter and upload on your landing/home page on TSLB website www.tslb.com.fj within 7 days from the date shown on your offer letter.
In case you fail to sign and upload the bond form and offer within 7 days from the date of offer, your application will be rejected and moved to TELS.
53. When and how is my NTS award confirmed?
Once you have uploaded your completed and signed offer letter and bond form, TSLB will carry out the assessment.
Upon assessment of your signed offer letter and bond if the documents are in order you will receive another email to indicate that your award has been confirmed.
Your application status on your landing page will change from “Approved” to “Confirmed”.
Log into your online application and download and print your confirmation letter from your profile page.This will be uploaded by TSLB at the same place where you downloaded your offer letter and bond form from
Once this is done, your application processing is completed and there is no need for you to come to TSLB in relation to your application matters.
54. What should I do after I have received the award confirmation letter from TSLB?
Enroll for courses in the program stated in your TSLB NTS Confirmation letter and start your classes at the institutions of your choice and TSLB will pay the allowances in the nominated bank account/m-paisa number and bus fare (TELS) in your E-ticket Card Number and Tuition directly to the Institution.
In case your University requires, provide a copy of your TSLB conformation letter to the Finance Team of your University.
55. Will my tuition and allowances be paid if I have been given the award offer by TSLB but have not returned the signed offer letter and bond form to TSLB?
Your fees and/or allowances will not be disbursed until we receive your offer letter and bond document, duly and satisfactorily completed and the award confirmation letter is issued by TSLB.
The process of tuition and allowance payment is as follows and unless all steps are completed, neither tuition nor any allowances will be paid by TSLB:
- TSLB issues the successful applicants provisional offer letter and bond form;
- Successful applicants to complete the bond form and offer letter, sign the required pages , scan the entire documents, upload on their landing/home page on TSLB website www.tslb.com.fj
- TSLB staff assess the bond form and offer letter.
- TSLB issue the award confirmation letter;
- TSLB sends the tagging list (list of NTS sponsored students to the institutions);
- Higher Education Institutions send the enrollment report to TSLB;
- Based on the enrollment report received, TSLB staff process and pay your allowances;
- Higher Education Institutions bill TSLB for your tuition, hostel and general service fees;
- TSLB processes and pays your tuition, hostel and general service fees.
56. What are my requirements after I have completed my program of studies?
Upon completion of studies, the awardee must submit and keep TSLB updated on the following:
- Program Completion Letter from the Higher Education Institution; and
- Complete Academic Transcript and Certificate upon Graduation.
Upon receipt of the above documents, TSLB will change your student status from “Active” to “Graduate” and not further tagging will be sent to your institution and allowance paid.
You must also immediately submit to FRCS, a copy of the employment contract or appointment letter for the purpose of bond service monitoring.
Bond clearance letter will be issued by FRCS upon production of evidence by the awardee for the completion of the years of service required.
For any change(s) in employment, notification in writing must be submitted to FRCS.
57. How do I notify TSLB of any changes that I wish to make to my personal, academic and finance details with TSLB?
You need to fill Form TSLB 04 and submit to TSLB to notify of any changes to your personal, academic or finance details.
TSLB/FRCS will send all correspondences regarding the Scholarship to the email address (es) or other contact details as per the awardees’ application form. As such you must immediately notify TSLB/FRCS of any changes to your contact details.
Likewise, TSLB will pay all allowances on the M-Paisa/E-Ticket or Bank account details as such any changes needs to be communicated to TSLB using Form TSLB 04, otherwise delays in payments will occur.
Completed Form TSLB 04 must be hand delivered to TSLB office nearest to you. TSLB does not accept emailed or faxed forms.
58. What should I do if I am facing issues that is affecting my academic progress or I am struggling to cope up with my studies?
You must immediately contact TSLB Student Counsellor on email address counselor@tslb.com.fj to arrange for an appointment to meet and discuss your issue . This will help TSLB understand your issue and suggest ways to overcome the same.
Remember leaving it too late or making an attempt to explain your reason(s) for poor academic performance after the final examinations will not help you as the same will not be considered by TSLB.
TSLB prefers early intervention on matters affecting a student’s welfare and academic performance and as such you must contact TSLB Student Counsellor immediately for any issue affecting your academic performance.
59. What is the “Zoning policy”? Does it apply to NTS applicants?
Under Study Where You Live (Zoning) policy to qualify for TELS-Accommodation Support Scheme students seeking financial assistance from TSLB under TELS, must enroll at campuses within their locality. A campus within their locality means that the program is offered by the institution of their choice at campuses close to their home on a full time basis and they can commute from home to attend classes or can complete their studies via alternative mode of studies without having to re-locate.
Students enrolling at campuses within their locality may be eligible for bus fare and incidental allowances only. No Food and Rent/Hostel Allowance will be paid.
In case a student still prefers to move to the main campus regardless of the program being offered in their locality, the allowance eligibility will be restricted to bus fare and incidental only.
Currently the Zoning Policy does not apply to NTS students. However, this may be reviewed in the future.
60. Can I work part-time while being on NTS scholarship?
Yes. You may work part-time while being on NTS Scholarship upon prior written approval from TSLB. However, you cannot decrease your academic load (that is enroll for fewer courses/units) while working on a part-time basis. Also engaging in employment should not affect your academic performance as this may lead to direct termination of your employment.
You must seek prior written approval from TSLB before engaging in any part-time employment during any academic term while under NTS. You must submit a letter of request to the Section Head Scholarships on scholarships@tslb.com.fj . In the letter of request, you must include the place of employment, days and hours of employment and the duration of employment.
You can engage in Part-Time employment during your Semester breaks without any written approval from TSLB.
No full time employment can be accepted while on NTS Scholarship.
61. Can I postpone/defer my scholarship?
You may apply for postponement /deferment of the scholarship during the course of studies using Form TSLB 04 if the attendance at the Higher Education Institute is affected due to the following reasons ONLY:
- Medical ground- supported by medical report (not sick sheets for few days only) by a registered medical practitioner;
- Military/Security deployment;
- National duties;
- Death in immediate family (spouse, children, parents living with the students, siblings only); or
- any other reason(s) as deemed appropriate to TSLB.
You cannot apply for deferment before commencing studies under NTS as all Scholarships are tenable from academic term one of the academic year for which the award has been approved.
No deferment of studies will be approved in a retrospective manner. All such applications will be treated as the case of abandonment of studies and will result in termination of NTS and loss of the funding.
For an award to be deferred, the awardee must attend at least one full-time year of studies prior to the proposed deferment and meet the minimum criteria for renewal of the award during the academic term (s) attended prior to the application for deferment
Enrolment at any other Higher Education Institute or acceptance of another award during the deferment period will result in an automatic cancellation of the award unless prior written approval from TSLB is obtained.
Deferment of studies without prior written approval from TSLB will be deemed as abandonment of studies and will result in an automatic termination of the award by TSLB.
TSLB’s general policy is that awards may be deferred for periods up to one academic year and approval is dependent on the availability of remaining scholarship funds.
No deferment of studies will be allowed for vacation or employment purposes (unless employment of a national duty in nature)
62. What happens to my scholarship if I am either suspended or terminated by the university?
The following is relevant in relation to your NTS due suspension or termination from the program of studies by your institution:
- Suspension/Academic Exclusion- your NTS also gets suspended by TSLB without notice to you. During the period of suspension, you cannot change your program/major/minor or institution nor can you apply for TELS. However, if the suspension exceeds one year, then your NTS will be terminated by TSLB.
- Termination- termination by institution will result in automatic termination of your NTS by TSLB without any notice. You cannot apply for change your program/major/minor or institution once your award is terminated. Upon termination, recoveries action by FRCS will commence. You cannot apply for TELS or any other Schemes administered by TSLB unless you have full paid off your debt under NTS and produce a bond clearance letter from FRCS.
63. Can I withdraw late from the course(s)/unit(s)? That is after the normal withdrawal period of my Institution without any withdrawal penalty?
TSLB does not encourage withdrawal from course after the allowances or tuition or both have been paid unless the request for withdrawal is on grounds accepted to TSLB. The accepted grounds include medical, national duties, death of an immediate family member, extensive losses due to natural disasters or a national epidemic or pandemic that restricts a student from attending classes or no alternative mode of teaching or learning is available.
Any request for withdrawal must be made using Form TSLB 04 available on
www.tslb.com.fj
Should you intend to withdraw from the HEI or from a course after payment of tuition and/or allowances for the academic term, the award will be withdrawn and the awardee will be required to refund the payments already made before any approval is authorized by TSLB. Remember for late withdrawals, your tagging for the course(s)/unit(s) will be withdrawn by TSLB and you have to pay of these courses privately with any later withdrawal penalty.
The following requirements must be submitted by you to TSLB if you wish to withdraw from a course(s) after the normal withdrawal period (without any penalty by the HEI) of the HEI’s:
- Letter from the Course Coordinator/HEI which clearly highlights the academic progress till the point of planned withdrawal. The letter must include the course work marks/grades;
- Medical Report indicating that the awardee is not able to continue with the studies if the planned withdrawal is on medical grounds; and
- Any additional documents which TSLB may request on a case by case basis.
No withdrawal on the grounds of poor academic progress will be approved by TSLB.
64. What happened if my allowances have been overpaid by TSLB due to certain issues or if my tuition for an ineligible course has been wrongly tagged?
TSLB relies solely on the reports submitted by the respective institutions for the processing of tuition and allowances. As such errors and omissions in processing and payment of allowances may result from errors and omissions in the report submitted by the institutions.
Common errors and omissions noted in the past includes:
- Changes in the number of courses/units in the enrollment report largely attributed to students either adding or dropping courses after the receipt on initial enrollment reports;
- Incorrect classification of courses/units in the enrollment in terms of first attempt courses, eligible repeat courses, subsequent repeat courses etc.;
- Incorrect courses being tagged by HEI’s in contradiction to TSLB’s terms and conditions of tagging;
- Change in program/major/minor/institution by students or HEI’s without prior written approval from TSLB.
In case(s) where either wrong allowances or tuition has been tagged/paid by TSLB, the following recoveries action by will be taken:
- For Tuition, the institution will immediately be asked un-tag the student from the ineligible course(s)/unit(s) and if any fees have already been paid to be reimbursed to TSLB and the student be billed privately for such course(s)/unit(s).
- For allowances, instructions will be issued to the bank to put a hold to the allowances not yet withdrawn and only on TSLB’s instruction the funds to be released. Students will immediately be contacted to reimburse the excess allowance to TSLB by depositing the same in the official TSLB Scheme account. TSLB may also contact the institution and request that the students account be placed on TSLB hold.
- Where the excess allowance payment cannot be recovered in a particular term, the recoveries will be initiated in the following academic term. That is any unrecovered excess allowances from the previous term will be deducted from the following term(s) allowances unless the full amount is recovered.
- In case any excess payment cannot be recovered and the student has completed his/her studies, all excess payment will be converted as TELS and recovered under the normal TELS recoveries process and criteria.
65. How to contact TSLB should I have any queries or concerns about the National Toppers Scheme Scholarship?
- All new applications MUST be made using the TSLB Online Application Portal available on www.tslb.com.fj. Full information about the schemes, the eligibility criteria and required documents are available on our website. For any queries on the online application email on it@tslb.com.fj.
- For all queries on allowances, tuition, tagging and any other general enquiries, students must use the TSLB Online Chat Services on TSLB website www.tslb.com.fj from Mondays to Fridays from 8. 00a.m to 5.00p.m.
- All other general queries and enquiries after 5. 00p.m from Mondays to Fridays and in the week ends, including Public Holidays, students/all other Fijians must email on enquiries@tslb.com.fj and we will respond on the next working day.
- For all account statements, email on accounts@tslb.com.fj
1. What is National Toppers Scholarship Scheme (NTS)?
National Toppers Scholarship Schemes (NTS) are full scholarships for the top ranked Fijians who have completed their Year 13 or such equivalent studies as determined by the Board locally in the year preceding the award.
For simplicity, the awards for 2021 will be given to students who have completed Year 13 locally in 2020 and achieved the minimum mark required for priority areas established by the Government.