IT has emerged that the Government sent a senior official of the National Training Unit (NTU) to the Philippines last year to establish the levels of fees and charges levied by AMA University for overseas students.

This follows concerns that there could be middlemen taking advantage of the increasing number of students vying for a place at Asia’s number-one IT University.

Privately-sponsored Solomon Islands students are each paying up to $38,000 (abt. Pp228, 000) in tuition, airfares, living and boarding allowances, and so on each year.

Officials spoken to said to date the Government has not sighted a report on the visit.

NTU could not be reached for comment.

Officials there are busy finalising students’ placements for the 2017 academic year based on a list provided to NTU by Government Caucus.

Meanwhile parents of some students were due to meet the NTU Director, Clement Tito on their concerns that the government had decided to lower living allowances paid to undergraduate students who are on government scholarships.

According to one parent, living allowances for undergraduate students are being slashed this year. Allowances for students taking postgraduate studies would increase.

Island Sun was unable to obtain the outcome of the meeting when the paper went to print last night.

Figures provided by parents of a privately-sponsored student at AMA University show annual living allowance of Pp42,000 (about SBD7,000) each year.