NO reduction in the value of scholarships, public or private, is expected to accompany the offer of free tuition at the secondary level by the recently installed Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government.

“Logically, I don’t see the level (monetary value) of the scholarships (government) being impacted negatively by the removal of the endorsed fees,” Education Minister Andrew Holness told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

“The truth of the matter is that the effect of the tuition would not be so great.”

In fact, chief education officer in the ministry, Jasper Lawrence said that with the removal of tuition, awardees could expect to have more money available to spend on their academic needs.

“Nothing is going to happen. The people will continue to get the scholarships. Scholarships were not meant only for school fees, and cover more than school fees,” he said in a September 14 interview. “Scholarships are meant to provide scholars with additional support for their academic career as well as for their day-to-day life. So the scholars will now be able to procure a computer, a laptop (and have money) to use (for) uniforms, clothes and transportation.”

Private sector scholarship donors were of a similar mindset, but cautioned that they would perhaps have to wait to see whether adjustments will be required.

“Right now we are not thinking it (the value of scholarships) would change immensely, but we will be formally assessing it to see how the development (free tuition at the high school level) would impact on the amount of funds the students receive,” Simone Hull, public relations specialist with Scotiabank Jamaica, told the Sunday Observer.

“Tuition is really a small part of the expenses (which include) books, computers, etc. And that is really what our scholarships offer – financing for your entire education.”

This year, Scotiabank Jamaica awarded 23 scholarships valued at $2.5 million. Fifteen of that number went to GSAT scholars, while eight were awarded to students who participated in the HIV/AIDS debate competition.

The National Commercial Bank (NCB), which awarded 60 scholarships to the tune of $1.2 million this year, also said it would be doing an assessment before arriving at a decision.

“When we do our annual review of benefits and donations in the upcoming financial year, this issue will be considered and a position taken,” said Rickert Allen, general manager, Group Human Resources Division, said in an e-mailed response to queries from the Sunday Observer.

Lawrence noted, in the interim, that perhaps additional guidelines would have to be given to government scholarship awardees in order to guard against the misuse of the funds.

“We probably will have to provide additional guidelines to parents. But interestingly enough, most of the persons who earn the scholarships have serious, committed parents who ensure they do their work and who would not use the scholarship money to make unnecessary purchases,” the education officer said. “The parents of children who win the scholarship are not parents who spend money on bling bling. Also, speaking to you now, we may need to remind them of the proper use of the scholarship funds.”

Thirty-two government scholarships were awarded to GSAT students this year, among them the Marcus Garvey Scholarship, the George William Gordon Scholarship, the Paul Bogle Scholarship and the JAG Smith Scholarship.

Each of those scholarships was valued at $180,000 while the other 28 awarded were valued at $100,000.

Asked whether they would like to see students who may have used their scholarship money to pay tuition fees reimbursed by the schools, Hull said that was a matter for them – students and school administrators – to decide.

“Right now it is pretty much between the school and them,” she said, adding that it was their hope that students would put the money to good use if reimbursed.

“If they get back the money, then we hope that in their wisdom they will spend it on school,” Hull added, noting that Scotia was beginning to encourage students to invest/save a portion of their scholarship funds.

Meanwhile, Holness said tomorrow the ministry would be submitting a plan of action to Cabinet for the reimbursement of fees.