Today the Minister Hranush Hakopyan, of the newly created Ministry of the Diaspora, had an open meeting with a group of Armenian students from the Diaspora eager to convey a set of concerns they had to the Minister. Issues discussed were the recently publicized problems related to entry visas and the penalties that many students had been facing due to expired residency permits. All seemed to agree that the matter had been resolved given that the individual colleges and institutions had agreed to pay any such additional expenses. Another matter of concern to the students were manifestations of favorable treatment given to resident students and those hailing from the Diaspora. Pro-Rector Aleksandr Grigoryan from Yerevan State University, who was also present at the meeting, advised the students to immediately inform the university administration in all such cases. Another issue that the students brought up was the fact that they paid higher tuition rates than local students. Gohar Klalyan, Rector of the Mkhitar Heratsi Medical University, responded that this is the norm throughout the world. When a Hetq reporter asked about the recent statement made by Minister of Education and Science Spartak Seyranyan regarding bringing the tuitions of resident and Diaspora students in line, the Deputy Education Minister responded that the issue was still under review. Another item of concern was the dearth of information about Diaspora students broadcast overseas by Armenian Public TV. Minister Hakopyan agreed with this point of the students. "Nothing is dogma; life advances. There are laws and they can be improved. Many changes have been proposed but what is desireable and what is realistic must find a happy medium," stated Minister Hakopyan