By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

UB students are prepared to “act as necessary” if they don’t see a change, following the Student Government Association’s (SGA) call for transparency and a more proactive approach to delayed payments.

President Chante Deal told Tribune Business students are demanding transparency as to why they do not receive accommodations grants and nurses and teacher’s stipends on time, which has led to “delays in the disbursement of these critical funds”.

“So the issue with the delayed payments to students have been a matter that has been going on for quite some time, for some years,” Ms Deal said. “I can speak directly to the time. I can speak directly to the timeline that I am familiar with. I would have entered the university in 2019 and from then until now, I can state that this has been an ongoing issue.

“Due to the delayed payments, the students do receive a lump sum. It depends on whether or not they will give half of the payments that is due to them for the entire semester, in the middle of the semester, or if they end up giving the entire lump sum or the entire portions due to them at the end of the semester. But over the years, it has been it has been provided to the students in lump sum, and as it relates to them getting it in the monthly basis that it is outlined to be given.

“So it is outlined in the contract and the details associated with the tertiary grant, when you sign up for the accommodations grant and the nursing and the teachers stipend that the payments were to be distributed in monthly intervals.

Ms Deal revealed that they had recently been informed that payments would be made this week for the months of January and February and a few minutes prior to the interview, they were told that persons under the accommodations grant would have received payments on March 3. However, her concern is not whether they will receive funds, it’s when.

“We would like to express the concerns of the students who request that instead of the payments being in a reactive manner, meaning that they are delayed and that they have to pretty much pay afterwards, and majority of the students having to reimburse themselves due to the delay, they are asking that to the payments be made proactively, that funds be proactively allocated and ready for disbursement once the time comes for them to receive the funds,” Ms Deal added.

Ms Deal said students have expressed their concerns with the relevant parties and are hoping they receive answers. However, if delayed funding continues to be an issue, they are ready to act.

“For the time being, we are seeking clarity. However, if need be, the students are more than ready to come together, and we are more than ready to act as necessary. We wish not to disclose exactly what that would mean, what that would entail. However, if need be, we are willing to advocate on our behalf and do what is necessary to ensure that the concerns are addressed and the matter is resolved.

Minister of Education Glenys Hanna Martin apologised to UB students who have been impacted by the delayed payments, vowing to “ensure that these funds are paid expeditiously”.

“We’re trying to inquire as to where the payments are emanating from to ensure that they meet the target, which is these young people in university. On my behalf, I have to apologise to the students for being placed in this dilemma. We’re trying to get to the root of the deficit, or the deficiency, and I will do my utmost to ensure that these funds are paid expeditiously. And so we’re following up now with the Ministry of Finance to see how quickly these funds can be released, but we have to work out a methodology that could allow for more efficient payment so we don’t end up in this situation where students are being stressed out on the issuance of this...”

Ms Deal praised the UB administration for doing “a tremendous job” in handling students who are inconvenienced by the delays.

“Students would have either spoken directly to the Office of Financial Aid or to the administrative team responsible for ensuring that payments are made, or they would have expressed their concerns directly to student government, who would then express it to the administrative team, letting them know that students have been concerned,” Ms Deal said. “I can say that both the past and the present and current, the university has done a tremendous job in terms of communicating and being transparent with the students, letting them know and apologising for the delays, and letting them know that they would be working tirelessly to ensure that payments are made to the students in a timely manner. But outside of that, that’s pretty much the response that we’ve been getting in the past and currently.

“We are just seeking clarity to determine why there is a delay. It is from our understanding that the tertiary grant that comes through university is funded by the government. I cannot say whether or not the late payment is because of the government or because of the university. However, we would like to see clarity as to why these delays are happening and what can be done to ensure that these delays no longer occur in the future.”

The memorandum put out by the SGA, pointed to the government’s “allegations surrounding travel expenses” questioning if the government has “allocated the funds needed to support the Tertiary Grant to other ministries”.

“The statement regarding the government’s travel, it pretty much just was to indicate that one of the precipitating factors that helps student government realise that a statement needed to be made or the issue needed to be addressed is due to the recent allocations that we have seen in the government and the funds and how they are being allocated. We simply just have a concern as to why students have delayed payments when there is evidently funds being allocated in the government, there is funds within the government to help support other means and other areas. However, students are being at a disadvantage, and they are simply in terms of being supported financially by the university and by extension, the government.”

Senior and media journalism major Jessica Olnice said while she personally hasn’t come close to eviction while under the Accommodations Act, she is calling on those responsible to be transparent and get the funds in to students on time.