355 students awarded grants under National Bursaries Programme

SOME 355 students, who recently sat the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), have been awarded grants by the Ministry of Education with a total value of $30,058,378.

The ministry made the announcement on Friday. The grants are being issued under the National Bursaries Programme and will provide tuition, compulsory fees, a book allowance and a monthly personal allowance.

The ministry launched the programme in November 2020, creating a “means for ensuring that the most vulnerable groups, most talented students, and most targeted areas for national development are supported.”

The grant awardees met the criteria of the National Bursary Means Test and were assessed and assigned scores based on their field of study, the ministry said, “and its alignment to national development, their involvement in extracurricular activities, contribution to community, country and the quality and content of their purpose statement.”

The ministry and the government, it said, is focused on transforming the education system to allow for access to learning for all.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said the National Bursary programmme has expanded access to tertiary education from 400 students to 600 students.

“Through the award of scholarships and national bursaries we now have a more strategic rationalisation of funding mechanisms, and we can ensure that the well-performing and talented students have access to higher education, regardless of their socio-economic background,” Gadsby-Dolly said.

Successful candidates will be required to sign an agreement of obligatory service to the State.

The list of successful candidates can be found on the ministry's website moe.gov.tt and the ministry's social media pages.