THE Ministry of Education has reported that over the past five years it spent more than $3.6 billion assisting 11,245 tertiary students through a range of scholarships, grants, and work-study programmes.

In written responses to questions from the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) tabled on Wednesday, the ministry said the funding was disbursed under its Tertiary Students’ Assistance Programme (TSAP), which provides scholarships, financial grants, and support through the Jamaica Values and Attitudes (JAMVAT) Programme.

The ministry said TSAP is intended to reduce financial barriers for vulnerable students while increasing participation in areas considered critical to Jamaica’s workforce and economic development.

Figures released by the ministry show that constituency grants — introduced in the 2024/2025 academic year — was the programme with the largest number of beneficiaries, supporting 5,035 students in just two years.

Since 2021 JAMVAT has assisted 2,711 students, while 2,625 received financial assistance grants, another 763 students benefited from specialised scholarships and 111 received traditional scholarships over the five-year period.

Specialised scholarships accounted for the largest share of spending over the five years, with approximately $2.78 billion allocated to students pursuing programmes in national priority areas. JAMVAT accounted for $481.7 million, traditional scholarships $235 million, financial assistance grants $147.67 million, and constituency grants $344 million since their introduction.

The ministry pointed out that financial assistance grants generally provide up to $100,000 per student; however, students enrolled in high-cost programmes, such as medicine, law, and nursing, may receive up to $350,000 while completing 100 hours of community service.

In addition the ministry outlined priority fields eligible for specialised scholarships, including mathematics, science, special education, geography, agriculture, visual arts, engineering, and cybersecurity, noting that these disciplines were selected based on national workforce needs and government development priorities.

Recipients of government-funded scholarships and grants exceeding $299,999 annually are bonded under the Ministry of Finance’s Bonding Policy, with service obligations ranging from two to five years, depending on the value of the award.

— Djaunel Lawrence