A whopping SR2 billion will be deposited into the accounts of over 40,000 Saudi students on government scholarship overseas throughout the course of their study following King Abdullah's order to increase their stipends by 50 percent on Thursday. The King's order came after his meeting with Saudi students in the US, said Ali Al-Attiya, Supervisor General of administrative and financial affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education Saturday. Effective immediately, the King's order comes to help students cope with the rising cost of living, said Khalid Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education. Anqari thanked the King for his ongoing support for Saudi students overseas saying that this order has come after a series of measures to curb the impact of inflation and currency fluctuation worldwide on Saudi students abroad. Now up to four children of the sponsored student, if accompanying him or her, will be all paid a monthly allowance as opposed to only two in the past, he said. The stipend increase will help ease the financial burden on students' shoulders, allowing them to focus more on their education and job qualifications to serve the country when they return home, he added. With the 50 percent raise of the basic amount, Saudi students in the US will receive a monthly stipend of $1,875 each plus health insurance, paid tuitions, and one round-trip ticket once a year to the Kingdom. The stipend increased from $1,230 to $1,349 in 2006. In its scholarship program, the government has allotted SR10 billion to fund Saudi students pursuing their higher education around the globe from the US to China. The program is open for different disciplines including medicine, engineering, modern sciences, law, e-commerce, insurance, finance, and marketing. Through an integrated e-system, students are only a click away from finalizing their paperwork with the Saudi cultural attaches in their countries of study. – Okaz/SG __
