Students demand raise in allowances.

Summary: JEDDAH: Over 9,000 Saudi university students recently launched an Internet campaign -- titled "SR990 not enough" -- calling on the Kingdom's education authorities to increase the monthly stipend they receive from their universities.

By FATIMA SIDIYA | ARAB NEWS

Calls for an increase in allowances come after a cash-strapped student at King Saud University in Riyadh posted a memo asking students to help him because his allowance had been delayed.

"It is true that some spend their allowances frivolously, but that is not the case with everybody. Some students help their families with this money and others need cash to pay for their accommodation and transportation as they do not live with their families," said one student.

Abdul Rahman Al-Musnid, a third-year computer engineering student who studies at Al-Kharj University, south of Riyadh, said he used to travel to Al-Kharj from Riyadh, where he is originally from.

"The trip which I and other students including many young women used to make is dangerous and accident-prone. It also takes on an average 90 minutes if not more," he said.

After a year at university, Al-Musnid decided to live in Al-Kharj along with some classmates. He, however, finds living away from his parents expensive.

"Now I live in Al-Kharj but I take money from my father to buy university materials and pay the SR4,000 rent a year. As students studying on our own away from home, we should be treated like those going abroad," Al-Musnid added.

Many students also complain of not receiving their allowances on time. "I received one payment last Shawwal, then nothing until Haj and since then I have not received anything," said one student. "The problem is not only that the allowance is not sufficient, it's also never on time."

In an online discussion board, students write that government employees have been given salary increases of 15 percent over three years and that students have been receiving the same allowances for the past 30 years.

Saudi university students who have a GPA of over 2.0 and major in science receive SR1,000 a month; SR10 of this is donated to a fund for student services. Students who major in the arts receive SR850 a month. Students feel that the amount they receive is not enough.

The campaign's organizers hope the authorities will take note, especially in light of the education budget that the government recently announced. They also said that the Shoura Council recommended a 30 percent increase in students' monthly allowances last May. The decision has, however, still not been implemented.

According to Ahmed Al-Mofarih, deputy president of Shoura Council's Committee for Educational and Scientific Research Affairs, the council is not responsible for following up on whether its decisions are implemented or not.

"What we do is discuss matters and then agree on them, but the department in charge is the one that should follow our recommendation. In this case, it is the Ministry of Higher Education," said Al-Mofarih.

No one at the Ministry of Higher Education was available for comment.

Copyright: Arab News 2011 All rights reserved.

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