Lamenting that a $1 billion cut in Government subvention “has caused significant financial distress” to the tertiary institution, University of Technology Jamaica (UTech) President Dr Kevin Brown says he’s liaising with the authorities to reassess the current amount granted towards supporting the operation of the university.

“There’s a need for a bit more equity… the funding model for tertiary education needs to be completely reviewed,” Dr Brown told Observer Online on Saturday.

With the university growing and currently hosting 12,000 students and employing 1,200 staff members, it is facing financial challenges due to what Dr Brown lamented as inadequate funding.

“The government’s subvention needs to be adjusted, that’s without a doubt,” he said, noting that the yearly grant plays a crucial role in impacting the ability of the university to operate effectively at an affordable rate for students.

According to Dr Brown, “For the fiscal year 2024-2025, our subvention is about $2.3 billion, and that is a reduction relative to the last fiscal year, because we had a cut of $1 billion.

“An unexplained cut… that has caused significant financial distress” he said.

The president of the Old Hope Road, St Andrew-based institution said the reduction in funding forced the university to increase tuition fees to students. The initial proposal of a five per cent increase for the 2024/2025 academic year was met with pushback from the University of Technology Students’ Union. Following further talks, a three per cent increase has been agreed.

President of the University of Technology Jamaica Dr Kevin Brown speaking during a
post-Cabinet media briefing at Montego Bay Convention Centre.
(Photo: Philp Lemonte)

“This increase is due to inflation… to ensure that we have the appropriate financing to keep the institution operational and to provide everything that the students would expect to have with respect to resources,” Dr Brown said.

President of the Students’ Union, Rick Darby expressed disappointment with the manner in which the tuition increase was initially executed.

“It was extremely concerning regarding the fact that the tuition was raised and there was no formal notice sent to the students,” Darby said, adding that “it should be a consultative process in which the students’ union is informed of what will happen … in whatever decisions that the university will take.”

In the meantime, Dr Brown said “we are in continuous talks with the government, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and I believe that we will find a resolution as it relates to funding.”

Doubling down on the need for equity, he noted that UTech receives three-times less in funding than the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus.

“So, essentially, if the government gives us $3, they give you $9. So there’s a significant gap. And the fact is, I mean, I’m sure UWI deserves every penny that they get,” Dr Brown said.

“So, I have no problems with them receiving the amount that they get. What we’re saying, though, is that there’s a need for a bit more equity. And the national university, which is the University of Technology, now needs to be appropriately funded, right?” he continued. “So, it cannot be that if you attend UTech, the government funding that you receive is significantly below a student who chooses to attend UWI Mona.”

However, the UTech president has urged students not to be deterred by the financial dilemma as the university is “constantly looking at how we can help our students”.

These include a variety of scholarships for students who are pursing degrees in science, medicine, technology and engineering (STEM), as well as those who are interested in healthcare, Dr Brown said.

Students can expect formal communication on the matter and updates on their expected tuition on Monday morning, he noted.