What is it in the Bahamian character that says there is no need to ever repay a loan?

We are in the season of exposing, naming and shaming .......... Just publish a supplement in the Tribune and Guardian with the students names, guarantors and outstanding amounts owed to Government.

Well they need to vet that list properly too. I had a family member a few years back receive a letter about repaying a student loan that they never received. They applied, but declined to accept it after receiving a US scholarship but the government still had their name on the list. <br/>I hope the list is actually accurate.

Comrades! Will it be 'pay up' or 'leg irons?
What more is there to say about a red governing regime that might just be capable to go as far as to give their standard treatment of parading they own 'student loan recipients' down Bank Lane in leg irons - whilst they has no issues to be flying off whole delegations government officials - along with curious observing individuals to welcome another countries students to enroll into our done overcrowded, understaffed and under equipped classrooms?
Maybe there's but an innocent explanation - but I still thinks that expensive jet that transported everyone to the Dominican - should be publicly explained.... and where did that photo op helicopter suddenly appear from?

You really are a deluded , biased and stupid individual or you are highly intelligent and just make these comments to get peoples ire up. Firstly the far reaching Bahamian attitude of not paying you loan or "the cheque is in the mail" must be stopped. This is our money unlike the fraudsters (PLP) that you so blindly support who thought every dollar was "their money" Secondly I happen to agree with you on the jet issue and wonder why the delegation was so large to include even Belinda Wilson, but as for travel you have conveniently forgotten how much travel the previous government did (first class) to China and then Fred Mitchell who must have so many frequent flier miles accrued that he can never use them in this lifetime. And ask your self how much benefit did all his globe trotting benefit you, me or the public at large..

If these students won't pay, cancel their driver licenses and car registrations until the loans are paid, or a payment plan implemented. Time to get tough on these bums. Garnish wages if we have to, but that is taxpayer money that needs to be put back. You got the benefit of a loan, so pay it back. It's really not complicated!

Publish the names of these deadbeats who steal from the public purse.

It could be the students cannot find jobs and without a job, how do you expect them to pay it back. Just because you have an education does not mean you will automatically get a job and many of you know this.
The problem is bigger than students repaying loans, plus some go abroad and never come back.
Why? Due to the lack of opportunity and in some cases low pay.
Some loans are also made to students who have family members who issue the loans in the first place and are given to students who do not qualify.
If the students who are really genuine and are given the opportunity, you will see loans repaid and even an economic boost.
The ones you have to really look for, are the ones with the ability to pay, then fine and add interest to their payments, but even this method will come at a cost.

The government should make an effort to collect -- using whatever means that are legally available to them. If the person genuinely cannot pay, then that is another matter, but I find it hard to believe there aren't people who can't afford to pay after getting an education -- there are jobs out there if you really want one! It may not be the one you want, but there are jobs.

Are you seriously telling me that someone can't come up with $10 month to start paying back their loan? Bet all these people have cars, cell phones and other assets, so it's not like they are broke. Enough sucking the public teat!

How are students expected to pay educational loans when they're unemployed?

I agree.

Less than 30% in the unemployment predicament - what would you suggest be done about the remaining 70+%?

75 % are not all unemployed.

Comrade ELA Chairman Michael Foulkes, is you willing to report back within 72 hours to disclosure - if any red shirts MP's, Senators, red party office holders, or recent political appointments of some 4000 persons to the various 123 government boards, have outstanding ELA loans, and if so, has the same Supreme Court legal action been taken against those delinquent borrowers, and guarantors, to recover whatever monies they is owing?
Are any of the new hires recruited into the various ministerial offices - not up to date with their ELA loans. Also, what exactly constitutes a sufficient payment default to generate a Supreme Court Action? Have any government contracts been signed, or business conducted with companies whose directors/officers are in default ELA loans?

WTF. You cant collect 157 million but you plan to lend more.Stop the madness.When i paid off my mortgage the bank called me 5 weeks later to say i still owed $47.23.So who the hell is trying to collect the Bahamian peoples money.You put up your house as collateral sooo.....

One wonders whether these educational loans were ever properly collateralized. There are also the loan guarantors................

What may be so embarrassing is that many of the politicians' families. friends and lovers children may be on that list ....... the vast majority are also children who attended private school. So, there will be a lot of hand-wringing around the ELA or Cabinet table before this list is exposed (like BPL, WSC etc.) ........ This cuts to the very core of the "educational entitlement syndrome" that has destroyed our public school system ....... then Big-Mouth Lloyd is out there hollering about poor BJC and BGCSE results in the (public) schools ......... smt

Comrade Sheeprunner12, such politicians and appointees, could very well be classified as "Guarantors" of the family members delinquent borrowers.

You are quite right ....... that just compounds the problem

For those who questioned how do you repay a loan if your unemployed?
how about asking that to the bank after borrowing money and signing a contract to repay your loan with interest!
if you borrow something its clearly not yours to keep and if you go ahead and make an agreement to repay what you borrow it is your very own duty to repay your depth its not the government concern or anyone else concern how you pay it the main thing is they went into a contractual agreement on a certain terms and condition and now they are being dishonest after receiving what they wanted and not repaying there is no excuse, just like any other citizen of the Bahamas when we have a loan and dont have a job we go out there find a job and pay own loans, cant go to BTC, BEC, Water and Sewerage and begged them no to disconnect because were unemployed. If you dont have a job simple get up like we normal people do and find a job and repay your loan.

Clanshell it is called entitlement which has been bred into bahamians since slop days.
I believe if you sign an agreement you must stand by that agreement. Stop thinking of excuses not to pay, instead get off your entitled ass and make an effort to pay your agreement.