The Ministry of Higher Education has approved SR55 million for scholarships at 12 private universities and colleges in the Kingdom for the new academic year which starts next month. Helping 2000 students a year to pursue their higher education, the scholarship funds also come to support private higher education in the Kingdom, said Muhammad Al-Ohali, Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs. The Ministry has also licensed three new private women's colleges including Effat College for Sciences, Effat College for Humanities and Social Sciences, and Effat College for Engineering. The three new colleges offer 13 majors, and will be the early seeds for a larger private women's university soon, said Princess Lolowah Al-Faisal, Vice Chairperson of the Effat College Board of Trustees and General Supervisor of the three new colleges. The Princess hailed the unlimited support of the Ministry of Higher Education to produce a skilled workforce of women for the labor market. – Okaz __