By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Education has announced that it will not give new scholarships for international studies for the 2020/2021 year due to funding constraints. This includes scholarships to the University of the West Indies, among other institutions.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said: “The public is also advised that other matters affecting the ministry’s decision included the free tuition initiatives at the University of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute, the tuition commitment to current awardees, and the need to support Bahamians who seek admission to independent local tertiary institutions.”

Massive deficit spending in light of the COVID-19 crisis has prompted the Minnis administration to impose budget cuts across the government.

“The public is further informed that the delayed receipt of required documentation from overseas universities, emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in a severe backlog of incomplete applications, thus hindering the timely consideration of them by the Scholarships Committee,” the Ministry of Education said.

“One of the greatest impediments impacting the decision to institute a moratorium has been the delay in the sitting of the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (BGCSE), due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These BGCSE results constitute the basis by which scholarship awards are determined.

“It is also recognised that the present economic circumstances being encountered by many families may minimise the opportunities for parents and guardians to secure the balance of the funding needed to support their children while overseas. Additionally, as expressed by the minister of education, there is a need for reform of the scholarship system. It is important that awards are made in accordance with national priorities, and that students return to the Bahamas to repay the Bahamian taxpayers who have borne the cost of their education.

“With these matters for consideration, it was determined that a one year moratorium was the best course of action for the Ministry of Education. Contractual obligations to existing students will be honoured.”

Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said last week that UB will enrol more than 6,000 people in the fall semester, the highest in the institution’s history.