A Lampang nursing college has complained 30 of their students entitled to scholarships under the embezzlement-hit Sema Phatthana Chiwit Fund have not yet received the money from the Education Ministry's scheme aimed at helping vulnerable young women.
Jarouyporn Thagleawpun, director of Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Lampang (BCNLP), said scholarships worth two million baht for the 30 students were not forthcoming.
In 2014, 23 students were promised scholarships, three of whom have not been paid, she said.
In 2015, scholarships were granted to 26 students. None got the money.
In 2016, the entire scholarship budget for that year was used to pay the 2015 recipients. There was no more money left to pay the recipients of 2016.
In 2017, several students were given scholarships but none received the money.
There were altogether 30 unpaid recipients from 2016 and 2017 as well as the three unpaid from 2014, Ms Jarouyporn said.
"The college kept sending letters every year asking about [the scholarships], but received no reply," Ms Jarouyporn said.
According to the director, the 30 students are still studying and the college has provided them help, including deferring their tuition fee payments, their dormitory charges and other expenses. The college is also finding other scholarships for them.
She said the college has secured more than 400,000 baht in scholarships from other sources as well as cash donations from college lecturers this year to help the students.
Ms Jarouyporn said those struggling with financial support can also seek loans from the Student Loan Fund.
Apart from the Sema Phatthana Chiwit Fund, the BCNLP also obtained financial assistance from the programme which recruits nurses to take care of people in border provinces as well as from projects linked to the Princess Mother Srinagarindra, according to the director.
Ms Jarouyporn said efforts should be made to improve the money allocation system of some financial aid funds.
According to the Public Health Ministry, in 22 Boromarajonani nursing colleges across the country, only 56 out of 254 students entitled to receive scholarships form the Sema fund actually obtained the full amount worth 40,000 baht a person between 2012 and last year.
Of 198 who received none or partial payments, 161 are still studying and the rest have already graduated, said Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry.
The embezzlement scandal at the Sema fund has been exposed after the Education Ministry ran checks of its operations and found more than 88 million baht has been syphoned out of the fund since 2008.
Last week, Rojana Sinthi, a senior planning and policy analysis specialist attached to the ministry, was sacked after she reportedly admitted to having a hand in stealing 88 million baht from the fund and then transferring the money to 22 bank accounts of relatives and friends over the past decade.
The ministry said a further 30 million baht was missing from the fund, bringing the total damage to almost 120 million baht.
