UK-based singer Keesh Divine is recommending that government lower the cost of university tuition fees which would ensure our brightest and most talented students remain in the island.

“The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine which led to the hasty return of some 21 students from Ukraine has further exposed the need for Jamaica to fix some of the pressing problems as it relates to the tuition of university students,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“We all know that many parents cannot afford the high cost of education in Jamaica. And, even though the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) is available, there are several criteria for the loan to be approved. Our cost of living goes up every time our dollar devalues, as a result, some of our brightest students’ study abroad while others never make it to university,” she continued.

Keesh Divine said the cost of Ukraine’s education is one of the cheapest in Europe, so is the cost of rent and transportation.

According to cost of living index, it is 53 per cent more expensive to live in Jamaica than in Ukraine.

At The University of the West Indies (UWI) , the tuition cost for medicine is US$28,000. When subsidised by Government goes down to US$5,800, while in Ukraine the tuition ranges is roughly US$3,500.

Led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine became independent, August 24, 1991 with dissolution of USSR.

Keesh Divine’s latest project is Brighter Days, released on the Distrokid Distribution label and released in January 8, 2022.

Brighter Days has an accompanying video.

Keesh Divine, given name is Mikesha Brown, grew up in Montego Bay, St James.

She is from a musical family. Her father Michael “Mickey Culture” Brown and brother, Michael “Mica Brown” Brown Jr, are artistes.

Her musical talent was discovered while she was attending Mount Alvernia High in Montego Bay, St James.

She migrated to the United Kingdom in 2012 and recorded her first song, Fun Time, in 2021. Her other songs, include Life Purpose, Divine Grace, and Love For for Yuh.