The government will be reviewing scholarship arrangements for students following the announcement that the University of Guyana (UG) will be free from January and student loans will be written off.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Tuesday explained that with tuition fees at UG now abolished, there is a direct implication on scholarship arrangements.
“We are considering how we will change the scholarship programme to suit this new reality but also to meet the needs and expectations of the students,” Dr. Singh explained.
He however, added that scholarships will likely remain for persons who need it as it also covers “a stipend and living expenses, etc.”
In the meantime, Dr. Singh said he has already engaged the Ministry of Public Service about changes to be made to the government scholarship programme for UG students.
He also highlighted that it is not the government’s intention to continue with the “obligations” that historically was imposed on scholarship students.
“We want to make things as least onerous as they could possibly be. We are not in the business of imposing onerous obligations on people and so to the extent that we can remove or ease the obligations that are associated with scholarships we certainly will do so.
“…we have been adopting a more relaxed stance now in relation to people who are serving scholarship obligations,” Dr Singh revealed.
He listed one example where scholarship students were bound to work at a government agency can now work in the private sector
“If you have a good job in the private sector and you are still going to be contributing to national development we welcome you doing so and encourage you doing so.”
The Finance Minister affirmed the government’s interest in empowering Guyanese through education, emphasising that the goal is to make citizens highly qualified and allow them to contribute to national development in their chosen fields, whether in government or the private sector.
