Crown Institute of Higher Education (CIHE) has announced a 2.5 million-dollar financial support package to assist CIHE students during this period of financial hardship. This commitment to CIHE students recognises the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the lives of all international students in Australia, according to a statement by Mr Narayan Tiwari, CIHE Executive Officer.
Chairman of the CIHE Board of Directors, Emeritus Professor John Gray said, “We are doing this as part of our corporate social responsibility and our abiding commitment to safeguard the wellbeing of our international students.”
CIHE’s principal shareholder Mr. Deepak Khadka said “We also hope that this commitment provides reassurance to our students’ families that they are in caring hands.”
The announced Relief and Recovery Financial Hardship Fund includes measures for both personal and financial support.
CIHE has reduced fees dramatically by 17% for all currently enrolled students. To provide for students who are in special need, CIHE will provide a cash gift of up to $500. To access this gift, students need only apply, providing documentation that substantiates their claims of hardship.
Fee payment terms have been made more friendly. Students can pay fortnightly or even weekly and CIHE has waived the usual installment-administration and latepayment fees. This will enable students to continue studying without needing to find the whole semester’s fee up front.
Further reducing the need to find a large payment is the decision to allow students to enroll in only three subjects in Semester 2, reducing by 25% their total fee commitment though the worst period of the virus.
There is also a generous scholarship program, the Dean’s Award, for students who can maintain steady progress, which provides a discount on fees of up to a further 15% on top of the other discounts, depending on the students’ track record of achievement.
Crown Institute of Higher Education Pty Ltd 116 Pacific Highway North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia Phone (61 2) 9955 0488 Fax: (61 2) 9955 3888 Email: info@cihe.edu.au Web: www.cihe.edu.au ABN 22 611 573 301 TEQSA Provider ID: PRV 14301 CRICOS Provider Code: 03744B
CIHE also provides a range of personal support and counseling services. “We have strengthened this service by engaging a Career Coach, who is helping unemployed students and their spouses into new jobs in industries less affected by the Covid 19 virus,” said CEO Mr. Narayan Tiwari.
CIHE has also created an entrepreneurship fund, whereby academics specialising in entrepreneurship are helping students create their own employment by creating startups with a CIHE seed investment. We are going to get the students to “practice what we teach”, said the Dean, Professor Grant Jones,
In explaining the motivation behind this package, Professor Gray said “ the safety and welfare of the students are our utmost priority and we are doing everything we can to support them during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
Media enquiries to Mr. Narayan Tiwari, Chief Executive Officer