Okaz / Saudi Gazette

BURAIDAH — A number of the interns who graduated from the private health universities and colleges have rejected the attitude of the Minister of Education Ahmed Al-Issa with regard to the stoppage of their financial support from the government.

The students, who met the minister on Sunday, said their remunerations were guaranteed by a royal order, which had equated them with the graduates and students of the government universities.

Al-Issa , in a meeting on Sunday with a number of medicine students, medical doctors and specialists, had said the government had initiated the program of the domestic scholarship to encourage the students continue their university education.

"The circumstances which prompted the introduction of the domestic scholarship program for students in private universities do not exist any longer so the government is not obliged to provide them with financial support," he said.

The minister told them that the government was not committed to extend financial help to them any more and asked them to take their case to the Court of Grievances.

He also told them that the government had initiated the program of domestic scholarship to encourage them complete their university education but there was no need any longer for this program.

Al-Issa said the government used to bear the educational costs of the private university students but now there is no need for it to continue doing this any more.

"The student who opts to join any private university should bear the cost of his/her studies and any other expenses," he said.

The students, on their part, said the Finance Ministry has affirmed their right to receive the financial aid and added that they have documents in their hands from the ministry on their right to cash the financial support from the government.

They accused the Ministry of Education for delaying their payments though it had received a letter from the Finance Ministry asking it to pay them.

The students said they resorted to the minister to do them justice after their payments were stopped but he shocked them with his unexpected answers.

The students said they waited for about six hours to see the minister who denied their right to any government subsidies.

They asked if they were made victims by the rationalization of spending by the ministry.