Nearly NT$5 million (US$180,440) in scholarships was on Saturday awarded to college students by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), which described education as the best way to exit poverty.
Hsieh Hsiao-wen (謝曉雯), director of the TFCF’s Taipei branch, presented the scholarships in an online ceremony on Saturday afternoon, the organization said in a statement.
About 260 students were presented scholarships, said the organization, which aims to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Videos offering the recipients words of encouragement were prerecorded by Yao Pao-chen (姚寶珍), chair of the organization’s youth support committee, and the Taipei City Outstanding Women’s Development Association, it said.
Youth support committee deputy chairman Chen Hsueh-hua (陳學驊), who is a lawyer, told the students about labor regulations and other information to be aware of when working part-time.
About 80 percent of those awarded scholarships must work part-time to pay for tuition and living expenses, according to statistics released by the TFCF’s Taipei branch.
Most of them work in the service industry, although some take on internships or part-time work in fields related to their chosen career path, it said.
About 22 percent of the students hold part-time positions on campus to balance study and work, it added.
With the rise of delivery platforms, college students from disadvantaged backgrounds frequently select a delivery job as a part-time option, it said.
Students have said that part-time positions on campus are limited, so most choose to work off campus, it added.
The organization quoted Hsieh as saying: “Education is the best way out of poverty.”
Due to fallout from COVID-19, disadvantaged students have been placed in even more challenging financial situations, the organization said.
As colleges prepare to resume in-person classes, some students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds continue to worry about costs, it said.
Electronic devices and an Internet connection have become necessities, significantly increasing the financial burden on students, it said.
The organization urged the public to support students through their “last mile” of education, giving them an equal starting point in life.
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