Aid to help Asian fallout

SOME universities are freezing overseas fees or creating bursaries to try to ease the plight of students hit by the financial crisis in South-east Asia.

Heriot-Watt - with 490 overseas students, including some from Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and Indonesia - is holding fee levels next academic year. Patrick O'Farrell, assistant principal responsible for student recruitment, said: "We wish to ensure that our present and prospective students are able to complete their education despite this crisis."

Aberdeen is creating scholarships ranging from Pounds 2,000 to 10 per cent of students' tuition fees. Students with particular financial difficulties who successfully complete a course will be allowed to graduate and repay any outstanding fees later.

Adrian Marshall, Aberdeen's director of international student recruitment, said: "We have set up an emergency fund to which individual students can apply during the current session for immediate assistance with their general living expenses. We will also consider some assistance towards tuition fees if these have not already been fully paid.

"Current students will be able to apply for a grant towards fees and living expenses for the subsequent years of their study."

Leicester University is offering bursaries worth up to Pounds 1,500 to students from South-east Asia.