The acting Vice-Chancellor, Elizade University, Ilara -Mokin , Ondo State, Professor Theophileus Oyeyemi Fadayemi , has appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities to benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust (TET Fund) grants . Fadayemi made the appeal made at a press conference which was held at the university campus on Friday in preparation for the school’s 1st convocation ceremony. The VC said such intervention from the Federal Government would help in manpower development in private universities across the country. While noting that Education Trust Fund was set up by the Federal Government to assist the development of the Nigerian Higher Education System, decried a situation whereby it is only government-owned universities are allowed to accessed the funds “We appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities to benefit from TETfUND which has been restricted to Federal universities. The private universities that are ready to go into research should be able to have access to TETfUND. “We have all the capacity here at Elizade University in terms of our commitment .What we are asking for is that they should give us access to TETFUND. ” Fadayemi said a total of 35 out of 64 students that was admitted as first set of students of the university on January 6,2013 ,will be graduating at the convocation. He said that five students had first class honours while 17 and 13 had second class upper division, second class lower division respectively. The VC also said all courses the school runs are fully accredited. “The 17 programmes presented for NUC ‘s accreditation with all the 17 having full accreditation status. ” he said.
“It’s time for a new approach to building better relationships with policymakers. We need legislators from outside regent communities to be on the task force.” --------------------- OWA CITY — With state support for higher education floundering, and more tuition increases looming, several lawmakers say they support and would be involved in a Board of Regents-led task force focused on future tuition-setting practices and rates. During its April meeting last week in Council Bluffs, board members pitched the idea of forming a task force with “a wide representation of regent constituencies” that could meet this summer to have a discussion about tuition at the public universities. Outgoing board President Bruce Rastetter said the collaboration could address state priorities and help students and families plan. “The board has tried very hard in the last five years to get out in front to let legislators and parents know what our tuition increase would be if we get a certain amount of state support,” Rastetter said. “Clearly that went off the rails this year because of the Iowa economy. But there was also a difference in how Iowa funds education and how the regents system has been funded.” Board spokesman Josh Lehman said this week his office is developing a framework for such a group. At the meeting, Rastetter said that Iowa “really needs a holistic approach to whether it can afford all the education that it has — the pre-K-12, the community college system, the Iowa Tuition Grant program, and properly funding the regents.” Propelling the idea was a rough legislative session brought on by lower-than-expected state revenue growth. Lawmakers delivered body blows to the public universities — cutting $20.8 million from their base general education funding for the current year and further reducing base state appropriations in 2018. The cuts prompted regents last week to signal another tuition increase for fall — on top of the already approved 2 percent rise for resident undergraduates. Later this summer, the board cou