Is there a middleman in AMA charges for our students?

 

THERE’S been a flurry of activities by Solomon Islands’ students flocking to get a good education abroad.

With little or no help from the government, many end up looking to their parents to fork out the bill worth tens of thousands of dollars in annual tuition fees and other charges.

One overseas institution that is gaining increasing popularity amongst Solomon Islands students is AMA University in the Philippines.

AMA Computer University, using the trade name AMA University, is the first ICT University in the Philippines and in Asia. It serves as the flagship brand of the AMA Education System.

It is a prestigious learning institution with links to renowned institutions such as the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. It is not clear how many Solomon Islands students are studying there today.

Those with links to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development said enrolments by Solomon Islands students are growing.

No definitive figure(s) can be established for the cost of an education at AMA University which is based at Quezon City, Metro Manila. Island Sun has obtained some figures from at least two parents who paid these costs for their children. They are seeking government help.

Based on these figures, the likelihood of a middleman or woman cannot be ruled out. Details of the cost for privately-sponsored students vary. They appear below. Let’s call the first student, John. His parents said they paid the amounts listed below.

• Airfares (Honiara/Manila/Honiara) –           SBD14,900 (The actual cost of airfare via Port Moresby is only SBD5,000)
• Visa –           SBD 1,896
• Living Allowance –           SBD 6,600
• Boarding Allowance –           SBD 7,587
• Lodging Allowance –           SBD 6,600
• Foreign Student Fee –           SBD 7,500

 

TOTAL                                                 =                      SBD37,583 (pp225,498)

 

Island Sun also obtained receipted costs in the Filipino pesos for another student. We’ll call her Jennifer. The parents claimed they paid P227,800 (about SBD37,505.35) for their daughter’s education at AMA.

These costs cover items such as Tuition fee, uniforms, living allowance, lodging allowance and boarding allowance.

Others said the itemised costs are far too high, claiming the government could send up to 3 students to the Philippines for the cost of one being educated in Fiji, for example.

One said the likelihood for a middleman taking a cut is real.

“Our problem is that we do not have any diplomatic representation on the ground in Manila – someone who can attend to students’ needs welfare. To rein in the costs, the government should consider appointing someone at the honorary consul level or high in the Philippines.

“Who knows, we could get our costs halved not only at AMA University but also at other universities with equal credentials,” one said.

“It is something the government should start thinking about right now because the number of Solomon Islands students seeking an IT education in the Philippines will just keep growing.”

AMA University was founded on October 15, 1980. Thirty-seven years on, these institutions have expanded to the point where it is now home to some 150,000 undergraduates.

AMA University and its sister school AMA Computer College (AMACC) were founded by Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz V on October 15, 1980. He named them after the first initials of his father’s three names, Amable Mendoza Aguiluz, Sr.

It is the Philippines’ pioneer in computer education and a member of the AMA Education System. AMA is also the first to:

• Offer courses in Computer Science and Computer Engineering
• Offer E-Learning
• Provide 1 is to 1 student-to-computer ratio
• Offer Mechatronics
• Receive ISO 9001 Certification among all the schools in the Philippines
• Become a Microsoft Premiere Education Partner
• Become an exclusive training partner of Avaya
• Branch out to key cities and municipalities in the Philippines
• Develop a University town in the Philippines comparable to Harvard, MIT and other similar institutions.

Consistent with and being a trusted institution for world-class quality education, AMA University has the following certifications and accreditation by global organisations and partners:

– ISO 9001 Certified

– Microsoft Premiere Education Partner – Avaya Training Partner – Google Academic Partner – ABET Accreditation for Computing and Engineering Courses.