Universities set own K150 entrance test fee amid high student failure rates

The government admits there is a high failure rate of uni students after the first semester every year, as universities start implementing their own criteria for admission.

Higher Education Minister Kinoka Feo says individual universities in Papua New Guinea are responsible for setting the K150 test fee for Grade 12 students seeking admission, not the Department of Higher Education.

Last week, thousands of grade 12 students sat their national exams, and this week they're sitting their Special Tertiary Admissions Test -PNG [STAT-P]

STAT‑P is a tertiary admissions aptitude test used by certain national universities to assess verbal and quantitative reasoning for Grade 12 school leavers and eligible non‑school leavers.

Member for Mul Baiyer Jacob Maki raised concerns in parliament during question time today [Tuesday] about the additional test and its cost, particularly for parents from rural areas.

“At the beginning of the year, plenty are accepted, and then after the first semester or first year, there are huge dropouts, so plenty of failures. So, colleges and mostly universities are thinking, are we really getting students who have the papers we are getting, or forged papers? "Minister Feo said.

He said the test was intended to confirm that students had the qualifications stated on their Grade 12 certificates.

“That test is independent, again, I want to make it clear, it's not endorsed or supported by higher education, it's done individually by each university.”

The minister said universities operated under their own laws and had the authority to introduce such requirements.

“Of course, they operate under their own act, and so they have the authority to go ahead and set similar things. So, it's not a lot of money, it's only 150 kina.”

He defended the fee, saying it was intended to establish whether students were qualified to enter university.

The minister also pointed to government assistance for students, saying about K130 million to K140 million was spent annually to help with school fees, while K53 million had been paid this year under the higher education loan program.

He said Cabinet had approved a reversal of the existing 70-30 per cent funding arrangement, under which parents paid 70 per cent and the Government paid 30 per cent.

“At the moment it's 70-30% on average.

“30% is paid by the government and 70% by parents. And the cabinet has already given approval to reverse it. So government will now pay 70% and parents will pay 30%.”

The minister said the Government would continue supporting students to make higher education accessible to young people across the country.

He added that assistance would also be available to students whose families could not afford the remaining 30 per cent.

“So making higher education accessible to every kid in Papua New Guinea.”

Grade 12 students nationwide will end the 2026 academic year after the Stat-P test this week.