RIYADH, 12 May 2003 — University students have called on Saudi charities to help their needy fellow students at the Kingdom’s universities. They have also asked university officials not to penalize students in receipt of a grant when their grade point average (GPA) falls below average — as is the case now in all Saudi universities.
Furthermore, they say universities should provide bus services for poor students either for free or for a minimum charge.
Some poor Saudi students — male and female — who cannot afford their tuition fees suffer from anxiety and perform badly in their studies. As a result, more poor students are dropping out of college.
Programs in universities that give loans or provide part-time jobs for such needy students are seen as not achieving their objective.
Needy Saudis studying in the Kingdom’s universities are entitled to apply for a loan from the university. The university deducts SR200 from the monthly grant the student receives — SR1,000 for science majors and SR850 for non-science majors — until the amount is paid back. However, the students are complaining that that itself is a cause for anxiety as the remainder is hardly enough for meals throughout the month, not to mention the price of books, transport, and laundry services, all of which amount to over SR800 a month.
Other poor students are saying that the new system being implemented in Saudi universities only makes matters worse for them. The system, which began to be implemented in all universities in 2001, states that the monthly sum which students receive is canceled when a student’s GPA is low. The grant continues to be withheld until the student’s GPA is brought up to par.
To combat the problem, universities have established “university employment” programs. However, problems remain as students receive their money not monthly but on a term or half-term basis. Moreover, the wages are humble, ranging from SR800 to SR1,000.
The head of the student fund at King Saud University (KSU), Adnan Al-Rashood, told Al-Watan newspaper recently that there were 1,300 male and female students benefiting from the university’s employment scheme in the last two years. He also said that the number of students benefiting from loans and financial assistance programs was 4,000 male and female students.
One male university student, who asked not to be identified, said his father works as a security guard at a government school and he is the eldest of five brothers. He said that his father’s salary was not enough to support them all.
“I am now in a very embarrassing situation. I have asked for a loan from the university and they are deducting SR200 from my monthly grant and I have started to ask for loans from my fellow students. My debts have now reached SR30,000,” he said.
Another university student said that he came to Riyadh to study at KSU to earn a degree and find a job to support himself and his family. He said his father suffered from heart problems and was in critical condition in hospital. His father’s pension is SR1,300. Half of that money is being spent on his family, who live in a rural village in northern Saudi Arabia.
“I do not have a place to sleep. Wherever I go prices are high. Sometimes when I want to sleep I park my old 1978 car and sleep inside. At other times I sleep in a mosque. I can only afford one meal a day,” he said.
A female university student, who also asked not to be named, said her father worked as a messenger in a ministry and his salary was not enough to support a family of eight. Their tight financial situation has caused her several problems and led to her isolation from others.
“It really hurts me when I see how other girls enjoy themselves and I can’t be like them,” she said.
“I tried to get a job at a private clinic with a salary of SR500 but they fired me,” she added.
“Why aren’t our charities playing a role in assisting needy university students in our country?” she asked.
Poverty, moreover, can lead some students into committing crimes or illicit acts, as was the case with a young man who said he dropped out of college and took to the streets.
“I can earn thousands of riyals a day... I know all the illegal ways to get money. I have already been in prison for selling drugs on the street. They are very easy to get hold of and sell. But after doing time in jail, I stopped,” he said.
