Government has expressed its unequivocal intention to continue support for the Young Nation Builders Scholarship Programme (YNBSP)scholarships, following recent public concerns raised about the future of funding for the programme.

On 27th June 2013, Minister of Finance, the Hon. Marco Archer, in addressing the Government motion for the 2013/14 interim budget, confirmed that the Government would be taking a different approach to the concept of “nation-building”.

At the same time, he specified that students who have received scholarships to study overseas under the “Promotion of Nation Building” appropriation, would not lose financial support, and that provisions had been made in the 13/14 interim budget to continue in these areas where the Government is already committed.

This accounts for some 112 recipients, valued at just over CI$2 million dollars for the 13/14 financial year.

The interim budget also includes a commitment to maintaining the Education Council Scholarship programme, which has a projected 13/14 budget of some CI$10.76m, for approximately 1,200 new and continuing local and overseas students.  It should also be noted that the Ministry of Tourism currently has a total of 61 students receiving support under its scholarship programme at approximately CI$600,000 per annum.

In light of the concerns now being raised, the Premier said: “There should be no doubt about my personal commitment and that of the Government to providing educational opportunities and to the development of our young people.”

It is the policy of the Government that both the YNBSP and Education Council scholarships should be managed by the Ministry of Education.  Therefore, the YNBSP has been transferred, under a new appropriation, to the Ministry of Education.

The Premier noted that: “The Office of the Premier is not structured to deal with administering a scholarship programme.  It has neither the expertise nor the personnel necessary to do so effectively.  Scholarships are properly a matter for the Ministry of Education and that is why I have decided to transfer the YNBSP to that ministry.”

Government’s immediate priority is to honour the commitments that have been made. In addition it is committed to ensuring that current scholarship recipients continue to meet the standards set out in the existing criteria under which the scholarship funding was released.

Officials also plan to conduct a review of the entire Young Nation Builders Scholarship Programme, to ensure value for money, fairness to all applicants and transparency in the way in which the scholarship fund is structured and administered.

A significant number of new YNBSP applications have been received between July 2012 and 15 June 2013 (the cut-off date for applications under the programme.)

The vast majority are for under-graduate and post-graduate studies, and will be considered under the existing Education Council Scholarship criteria and application process.

New recipients will no longer be able to receive scholarships from both the Education Council and the YNBSP.

Other applications, which include requests for sports-related scholarships for secondary education overseas, will be considered in line with the availability of funding and established priorities.  No new applications will be considered beyond the 15 June 2013 cut- off date.

Issued on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs.