WUS service.

Students at the University College of Rhodesia are in urgent need of scholarships and legal aid, according to the multi-racial Rhodesian national committee of World University Service.

WUS's scholarship programme at the University College is designed to help two categories of students: those entering the one-year pre-university (A-level) course, and those who have completed the pre-university course and are proceeding to a degree course. For 1966, there were 24 students in these two categories for whom no finance was available, except through WUS.

Special need

The A-level course fills a special need in Rhodesia. Secondary education is segre gated by race, and only two African secondary schools offer A-level courses, qualify ing students to enter the University College. The University College's A-level course, only two years old, is already producing more African university entrants than the two secondary school A-level courses combined.

Shortage

The Rhodesian authorities (offer scholarships only to , school-leavers who proceed immediately to a degree course at the University College. Government scholarships have never been available to those students who have reached university enrance level after leaving school (either by private study or by the University College A-level course) or who wished to qualify through the University College A-level course.

Assistance to such students has always been the sole responsibility of the University College. In the past, the government has helped out by advancing loans to some students who were willing to teach for a number of years after graduating.

Excess success

This year, however, the two African schools had good sixth forms (final years) and achieved a very high pass rate at A-level. There were more Africans than the authorities expected who were qualified to come to the University College. The authorities gave scholarships to all these school leavers, but this exhausted the funds available for African higher education, and rather than allocate more funds for this purpose the authorities raided the funds set aside for loans.

Of the twenty-four students without scholarships at the beginning of the academic year, WUS has been able to assist four. Twenty more students are now on the verge of expulsion from the University College, due to inability to pay fees. A year of study at the University College costs £250.

Legal aid

The Rhodesian WUS committee is also appealing for funds for a student legal aid fund. A number of students of the University College have been arrested and detained without trial.