The decision to offer five scholarships for first-year diploma students at the Wanganui Glass School has angered at least one Wanganui district councillor.
The money was coming from the Mayoral Accommodation Scholarships and totalled $48,000 but councillor Ray Stevens said he had never heard of the scholarship and could notrecall the council making any decision along those lines either.
"I can never recall this going to a council meeting in any form," Mr Stevens said yesterday.
"We're still in the process of deciding whether we keep the School of Glass and here we are talking up a scholarship for students," he said.
He said he was aware of at least two other councillors who had never heard of the scholarship until it was announced by Mayor Annette Main last week.
Ms Main said the scholarship would encourage people to come to Wanganui to study and that it "was right to get on board with UCOL and assist students".
Eight students have enrolled for the diploma course, which starts next month. Six of them were from New Zealand and the others from Cambodia and Malaysia. The day the students arrived in Wanganui there would be a ballot by the mayor for the scholarships.
But Mr Stevens said this was the first he had heard of such a scholarship.
"I sent an email through to the management team on Saturday seeking an explanation and have yet to get a reply," he said yesterday.
"I'll certainly be asking questions of the mayor about this. All of sudden we're going to blow $48,000 on five students. And all of a sudden a unilateral decision has been made and it's one I can't remember ever being in front of council."
Ms Main said the scholarship was one way of encouraging people to study in Wanganui by reducing financial pressures in the first year of study.
The Mayor has clarified that ratepayer funds are not being used, the money is from UCOL.
