Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd yesterday announced in parliament the government’s implementation of a tertiary grant program and in the face of the University of The Bahamas announcing its hike in tuition this coming fall.

This program will provide tuition and mandatory course fees for qualified, present and incoming, full-time students at the university. 

 “The existing teacher education and nursing grants, the national bursary and the student-athlete financial assistance will all be consolidated under this programme,” he said. 

The Minister also said that the programme will not cover non-instructional fees like security deposits, application fees, drop/add fees and books.

“It does not include payments for courses taken during the summer, unless in extenuating circumstances as determined by the University, nor the cost of taking repeat courses,” he added. 

He said that grant recipients must be Bahamian citizens; be enrolled full-time, and maintain “satisfactory academic performance and remain in satisfactory disciplinary standing with the university.

“In order to receive or continue receiving the stipends that are disbursed under the teaching and nursing grant programmes, recipients must comply with the GPA requirement outlined in their Contracts of Study); Complete all course requirements within five years of the commencement of their studies, unless there are extenuating circumstances and the University grants an extension after verification,” said Mr. Lloyd. 

He further explained that approval from the University is the only way under which grant disbursements will be extended beyond the five-year period.

Students whose minimum cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation as per University policy. 

They will be permitted one semester grace period to elevate their GPA to a

2.0 or higher.

 If they do not, then they will be suspended from the programme.