FAR OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP FOR FEE PAYING STUDENTS
By Tamar Minasian

AZG Armenian Daily #153, 30/08/2005

Aid

First year students of the Yerevan State University, Yerevan State
Economic Institute and State Polytechnic University can take part in a
contest for “Matevosian Scholarship” organized by the Fund for Armenian
Relief (FAR). FAR will pay the fees of 10 winning applicants, FAR
spokesperson, Levon Lachikian, told daily Azg yesterday. The contest
is available for excellent pupils with high grades at the school
graduation and university admission exams. It is open for students
of departments of applied mathematics, software and informatics,
law, international affairs, philology and journalism. All students
participating in the contest have to be from socially vulnerable
classes and should assume obligation to work at least 5 years
in Armenia or Artsakh after graduation. “We aim at supporting the
educational system on the spot. That’s why we sign an agreement with
students, and if they break it they or their families will have to
reimburse all payment by FAR”, Levon Lachikian said adding that there
was no such case so far.

RAF office informs applicants that the scholarship will be suspended
as soon as the social state of the family improves or the progress
in studies falters. 3 students in 2003/04 years did not get further
funding because of poor results.

All students wishing to take part in the contest have to apply by
August 31. Besides checking documents of the applicants, FAR employees
visit every student at home, speak to the family members and even
neighbors. “A single mistake in our choice can have a negative impact
on the whole program. There were cases when people tried to deceive us
but we used all levers and disclosed the truth”, Lachikian says. After
a preliminary selection, the applicants are invited for interview.

The FAR program has attracted this year two students who entered the
university on conditions of “No Right for Postponement in Studies”. FAR
project coordinator Rita Khachikian says that they have not talked
to Anush Matevosian providing the scholarship whether the young men
can participate in the contest or not.

Yesterday was the first day for applications at the FAR office. There
were already 15 applications by the end of the day. This 9 years
old project enabled more than 80 young people from state educational
establishments to continue their study by receiving the scholarship.