By Rhealyn C. Pojas
The House of Delegates (HOD) deferred on third reading the bill that seeks to guarantee every Palauan access to college education at the Palau Community College (PCC).
The deferred bill, known as House Bill No. 10-61-4, states that the Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) finds that PCC should be available to all Palauan citizens, and hence, gives the Board of Trustees authority to have a general policy management and control over affairs of the College including the fixing of rates charged to the students for “the tuition, fees, room and board, and other necessary charges.”
“No Palauan citizen shall be denied enrollment as a degree-seeking student on the basis of lack of funding,” the bill states.
The bill identifies that Palauan citizens who has been “denied funding from all outside sources and has insufficient family contributions”, a student who is placed “on academic probation and is no longer eligible for funding while he attempts to improve his grades”, and a student who “has reached the maximum limit of funding but has not completed his degree” must not be denied enrollment at the PCC.
The bill also includes provisions on the appropriation of $5,486,000 for Fiscal Year 2018 to subsidize identified educational institutions and scholarships.