News--Welcome to National Chiayi University

　　In conjunction with the policy to safeguard the welfare of underprivileged students, National Chiayi University is dedicated to offering financial support and admission opportunities for the students. In the academic year 2015-2016, NCYU attained a subsidy of NT$3 million for the support program from the Ministry of Education (MOE). Starting from providing admission opportunities, the university will initiate “Support for Underprivileged Students” program by offering tutoring assistance, mentoring, life counseling, career counseling, social feedback and service learning, among others. The objective is to implement holistic care, as well as care for overall learning experience of the underprivileged students.

　　Throughout the years, Liu Yu-Wen, Dean of the Student Affairs Office, said the university developed a wide spectrum of care programs targeted for underprivileged students. In addition to offering care to underprivileged students, they also provide help to students from medium- and low-income families, children from families with special circumstances, indigenous students, new immigrants and their children, as well as underprivileged college students qualified to apply for scholarships. Underprivileged students represent 12% of the total number of students in the academic year 2016-2017. In the future, they will gradually increase the percentage of underprivileged students year by year based on the effectiveness of the support program, with a view to extending the program to reach more underprivileged students in need.

　　Liu stressed that the NCYU program of Support for Underprivileged Students offers services ranging from scholarship application, tutoring assistance, dormitory counseling, career counseling, to employment matchmaking. They will also help cultivate altruism and transnational mobility in the underprivileged students. By strengthening their inner power, they hope to assist the students in pursuing higher education, graduation, and employment, and in better adapting to a global environment, with the ultimate goals of enhancing their own soft power and competitiveness.