UGC promotes online applications
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is hoping to increase online student applications during this admissions cycle by simplifying the UGC Handbook and explaining the admissions process through newspaper advertisements in Sinhala, Tamil and English. UGC Chairman Mohan De Silva told the Business Times that the old handbook was so complicated that a newer one was prepared which is user friendly, easy to understand and summarised down to essential core knowledge. However, he said there is a limit to how far the handbook can be simplified because of the legal component. He added that online applications were introduced last year during admissions but out of 60,000 applications, only 9,000 were received online. “The response was less than expected,” he said.
The newspaper advertisements have been broken down into four sections. Dr. De Silva explained that the first was essential core knowledge every student must know before admission to university, secondly the details of the handbook which are necessary to fill out the application, thirdly how to prepare yourself to fill the application and lastly, how to do an online application. Dr. De Silva said that for the first time, the UGC is allowing students to go to a Nanasala free of charge to submit their applications and get confirmation that their application was received immediately through text or email. He also pointed out that once a student is accepted into a stream of study and receives their final letter, they must formally register online.