Good news for tertiary school students as they will now be able to acquire laptops through the existing Education Withdrawal Benefit.
The laptop assistance will be effective from April 15th, 2024 and is applicable for higher education studies.
Fund CEO Viliame Vodonaivalu says the assistance was timely, as the Fund had received a lot of feedback from members to reactivate it.
He says they receive a lot of requests from their members, particularly during the FNPF Member Forums, to assist members purchase laptops for their children and it is highly sought after to assist with higher education studies post-pandemic.
Vodonaivalu says they understand that not all parents can afford to equip their loved ones with additional educational tools to support their studies and this is one way the Fund can step in to allow the inclusion of the laptop assistance.
The CEO says although this assistance was phased out in 2009 due to abuse, controls have now been put in place to minimize risks.
Vodonaivalu says the Fund was aware of the changing education landscape, especially where technology is concerned and that this assistance would only add value to a student’s learning experience.
He adds the Fund recognized the emerging need to venture into online platforms not only for businesses but also for learning, as evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To access the laptop assistance, members must have a sufficient general account balance and must meet other requirements under the partial education withdrawal grounds.
