SEC warn students against false scholarships
The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has warned Qatari students not to get misled by institutions claiming to be authorised to provide scholarships to study in foreign universities.
The SEC said it had not authorised any individual or institution to provide scholarships on its behalf. It said legal action will be taken against anyone misleading students by making false promises such as registering them with foreign universities or granting scholarships, Al Raya newspaper reported yesterday.
The warning follows complaints by many students that they had been offered false scholarships and admissions at foreign universities and that they had paid money to individuals and institutions and got cheated.
Students said they later found that some foreign universities were not even listed with the SEC to be eligible to offer scholarships. The SEC asked students to be careful when they deal with unknown institutions, especially online.
SEC’s Higher Education Institute’s (HEI) scholarships office is responsible for implementing programmes to enable students to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the best institutions in Qatar and overseas.
It also follows up on financial and administrative affairs of beneficiaries and monitors their academic progress by communicating with them, their universities and guardians via emails, phone calls, letters or visits. The SEC list, which includes 675 schools, ensures scholarship recipients in Qatar receive the best post-secondary education possible.
In November 2009, the HEI announced the Hamad bin Khalifa and Tamim bin Hamad Grants Programme which offer top achievers scholarships to study at 30 select universities.
The office administers scholarship programmes in Qatar, Arab region, Australia, the UK, Europe, the US and Canada. The SEC’s website provides details and guidance to students on scholarship programmes.
